It’s Time
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Dear Students, Parents and Carers
Last Thursday was a spectacular day for Shore. The enormous spirit of the boys, both on the field and in the stands, in our Rugby fixtures against Riverview was remarkable. Hundreds of boys flocked to Northbridge after the school day ended to be part of the mass of Shore supporters. The First XV match swung through the afternoon until Shore prevailed through the desperation of sheer willpower and commitment. The same heart was seen in the Second XV. These aspects of determination and perseverance are lessons to apply to all of schooling and all of life. The sense of endeavour and the unity of belonging were immensely encouraging and revealed a strong culture of purpose and identity as part of Shore. This is tribalism at its best.
Shore’s Thursday, however, was by no means over. That evening I was part of a large and appreciative crowd treated to stellar performances by our boys in the Instrumental and Choral Concert. It is simply wonderful that Shore can excel in sport and music on the same day. This is testament to the range of opportunities at Shore and the manner in which all are fully supported and affirmed.
‘It’s Time’ was the catch cry of what became the Whitlam government as they displaced a long-serving coalition government 50 years ago. Some of our own staff have called time. The professional literature on school staffing speaks of the 15-year ‘wall’, where people become mobile, for a host of good reasons, after 15 years. It is indeed remarkable at Head of School level to ponder the number who leave their positions at the 15-year mark (or thereabouts). My longest stint in a school thus far is 12.5 years (after which I then did 12 years in another school). They were good innings. In my experience, every teacher knows deep within when it’s time. A certain transition happens in all schools. It is a reminder that there are seasons in professional careers and in life itself; as the writer of Ecclesiastes points out: “there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…”(Ecclesiastes 3:1).
In our current situation, two of our long-serving staff are moving on. They will be hugely missed and their wonderful service is very much appreciated. They are respectively our Head of Preparatory School, Mr Nick Saunders, our Head of Teaching and Learning, Mr John Tzantzaris. They have served at Shore in leadership positions respectively for 14.5 years and 15 years.
Mr Saunders will leave his position at the end of this Term. Prior to his appointment as Head of Preparatory School, he was Deputy Head of Cranbrook Junior School, and previously was in a classroom teaching position in our Prep. He is also an Old Boy of the School and a great example of the excellent man a Shore education produces. His decision to leave stems from a desire to explore a new career direction while he has time in the length of his working life to do so. He will very likely take up some contract positions to assist us at Shore with various projects.
During his tenure as Head of the Preparatory School, Mr Saunders has overseen several initiatives within the Preparatory School. He has been instrumental in developing the Learning Enrichment Department in the Preparatory School and ensuring that all students are given the support they need to be successful at school. Mr Saunders is deeply respected and loved by all those who work with him, have been taught by him, and have placed their children in his care/stewardship.
While we seek a permanent replacement, we are fortunate to be able to welcome our very experienced Head of the Northbridge Campus, Miss Natasha Mitchell, to act in the role from June 2023. During this time, Mrs Natalie Valenti, who currently does an excellent job providing Learning Support to students at Northbridge, will become the Acting Head of the Northbridge Campus.
Mr Tzantzaris will leave his position as Head of Teaching and Learning at the end of this term to take up a promotional position as Director of Professional Growth at St Aloysius College where his two sons attend. He has served the School for the past 15 years; as Head of Teaching and Learning for the past two and Head of English for the preceding 13 years. In his role as Head of Teaching and Learning, Mr Tzantzaris has been instrumental in developing the Shore Teacher Expertise Programme which is a key partnership with the University of New South Wales. This programme seeks to professionally develop staff to ensure they continue to be expert practitioners in the classroom and are able to continue to provide outstanding support to boys of all gifts and abilities in their learning.
During his tenure as Head of the English Department, Mr Tzantzaris led a team of 20 English staff to deliver the best English results the School has seen in its history. He also developed the University of Sydney teaching partnership, which created a wonderful professional learning link for departmental staff and in turn ensured outstanding results for all boys in English. One of his key achievements at Shore has been ensuring boys have a love and passion for the study of English and literature. This has been a theme consistently highlighted by student feedback in regard to the English Department under Mr Tzantzaris’s tenure. An outstanding teacher in his own right, he will be fondly remembered by students past and present for his charismatic teaching style, humour and willingness to meet students outside of formal class time to provide feedback and improve their writing. He will be deeply missed by staff and students alike. We wish him all the best as he embarks on this new leadership opportunity at St Aloysius College.
I wish all of our School community an excellent mid-year break, as this is the final edition of the Shore Weekly Record for this term. It will be good to reengage with all that Shore offers when we return in late July for Term 3.
Dr John Collier
Headmaster
