School Headmaster

[Rebecca Donnelly]

Whilesome head teachers still do some teaching themselves, in most larger schools, most of their duties are managerial and pastoral. They are often used to discipline misbehaving students and to help organize school-sponsored activities, and teachers report to them.

In Australia, the head teacher is sometimes in charge of one (in the case of a major subject) or multiple (often in smaller schools) specific departments, such as English, history, maths, science, writing, technology, etc., but maintains full teaching duties and status. They are considered part of the school executive, and often a head teacher position is a stepping-stone into administration.

Rapid demographic changes in the United States have resulted in an increasingly culturally and linguistically diverse Pre K-12 student population, so classroom teachers and principals in the U.S. are not only focusing on instructional issues, but also need to increase educational leadership[whose?], cross-cultural leadership, and multicultural education[clarification needed].[2]

In larger schools, the principal is assisted by one or more "vice-principals", "assistant principals", "associate principals", or "deputy principals". Their position is secondary to the principal with regard to school governance. Assistant principals generally perform specific duties such as handling student discipline, curriculum, student council or student activities whereas the principal has the ultimate responsibility for the school as a whole (including faculty and staff, physical plant, etc.).

In many Australian and New Zealand schools, a principal is the head administrator of a school who has been appointed to her/his position by the school board, superintendent, or other body. The principal, often in conjunction with the school board, makes the executive decisions that govern the school, as well as having the authority over the employment (and in some cases firing) of teachers. The principal is often the chief disciplinarian of the students.

While there has been considerable anecdotal discussion about the importance of school principals, there has been very little systematic research into their impact on student outcomes. Recent analysis in the United States has examined how the gains in student achievement at a school change after the principal changes. This outcome-based approach to measuring effectiveness of principals is very similar to the value-added modeling that has been applied to the evaluation of teachers. Such research in the state of Texas found that principals have a very large impact on student achievement.[3] Effective school principals have been shown to significantly improve the performance of all students at the school, at least in part through their impacts on selection and retention of good teachers. Ineffective principals have a similarly large negative effect on school performance, suggesting that issues of evaluation are as important for school administrators as they are for teachers. The impact of principals has also been measured in non-traditional ways.[clarification needed] Some principals have focused their efforts on creating more inclusive schools for students with disabilities.[4]

As you will learn while perusing this site, The Heights offers a traditional liberal arts education that focuses on the development of intellectual virtues, helping to foster the practice of concentrated study and a sincere interest in the abundant goodness of the world. Its curriculum is strongly grounded in the classic texts of western civilization. Its students achieve impressive results on recognized standards of excellence such as Advanced Placement and SAT exams, and many of its graduates go on to the best colleges in the nation.

The Faculty Publications provide you an opportunity to better understand the School through the writings of those who have the greatest impact on the students. I trust you will find these reflections enriching and thought-provoking.

The Curriculum section of our site contains details about the Lower, Middle, and Upper School Curricula. Our program has been carefully developed over the course of many decades, and though we welcome the challenges and opportunities presented by modernity, our academic focus remains the cultivation in our students of a life of the mind; of the capacity for reasoned thought, and an appreciation for reality.

Our website is intended to further our mission by facilitating communication. We do not want it to prevent or take the place of direct verbal, face-to-face communication between people and students, faculty and parents, parents and school, even people outside our community and the School. There is no substitution for visiting the School itself in person, and we hope to see you on campus soon.

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I was encouraged to pursue a career in education because of the influence of a number of inspiring teachers who I had the good fortune of having when I was growing up in small town Ohio. I still remember my first grade teacher, Miss Schuler; my Latin teacher, Miss Schlegel; and my English teacher, Mrs. Wurst. They and other teachers made me feel special and made me feel like I could accomplish anything. And trite as it may sound, I knew that I had found my career the first day I walked into the classroom as a teacher.

Among the things that make the learning environment at TASIS extra special is the incredible beauty of our campus. The stunning architecture that is part of our Global Village takes advantage of the equally spectacular views from virtually every classroom and dormitory room. Students often say that the beauty of the campus and the warmth of the people who work here are among the things they value most about TASIS.

Although we want all our students to be challenged academically (and in other ways), we also want them to have appropriate challenges. For students who want and are ready for the rigorous IB and AP programs, we offer a wide range of demanding courses. For students who may struggle in some areas, we offer a wide range of supportive instruction, including writing, math, language, and science help centres that are available to students in the afternoon and evening. We also provide additional support for students with learning differences through our Learning Resource Center. Since all students in grades 6-12 also have a faculty advisor, it is hoped that any academic needs will be quickly identified and addressed.

The athletic program at TASIS has grown much stronger over the past decade. Since it was often difficult to arrange games because of distance, the School has worked hard to develop relationships with other schools within reasonable distance of Lugano. TASIS now participates in three sports associations: SGIS, ESC, and NISSA. Travel also is extremely important at TASIS. Twice a year students in grades 6-12 participate in Academic Travel trips throughout Switzerland and Europe. The School works very hard to ensure that these trips are tied to what is being studied in the classroom.

One of the highlights of the year at TASIS is International Week, in which all our students have an opportunity to introduce aspects of their culture to the rest of the community. Teachers also find ways throughout the year (almost on a daily basis) to make students aware of other cultures and nationalities. With more than 65 different nationalities represented in our school and more than 35 different languages spoken, international understanding is a major focus.

Among the joys of leading an international school in Switzerland are the beauty of our surroundings, the wealth of languages and foods we encounter daily, and the friendliness of the people. The sense of security and stability are added bonuses.

We offer field trips, cultural trips, and Academic Travel trips throughout the year to places such as Zurich, Bern, and Geneva. Each January, we offer a one-weekski term for our high school students at Crans-Montana and a one-week ski term for our middle school students at St. Moritz.

When students first arrive, we provide them with an extensive orientation program. We also train student proctors to help look after new students. For students who might be struggling with homesickness, we have faculty advisors, dormitory parents, and health professionals to help them with their adjustment.

One of the trends in education that I think is having a big impact at all levels is the increased attention being paid to differentiated instruction in the classroom. I think that the more teachers learn about how to teach to a wide range of learning styles, the more effective they will be with all their students.

It is my hope (and expectation) that students leaving TASIS are equipped not only with a quality academic education but also with a love for learning. For this education to matter, however, it is essential that our graduates also be people of good character who care about others and the world.

The American School In Switzerland (TASIS) is a private coeducational boarding and day school for elementary, middle, and high school students. Located in Montagnola, a village south of Lugano in the Canton of Ticino, TASIS enrolls approximately 730 pupils from around the world, including 270 middle and high school boarding students.

From 1963, when the school was founded, to 2017, a Xaverian Brother either was the principal or headmaster at Xavier. There were seven in school history, with this historic photo containing four (Bro. Robert Sullivan, Bro. James Boyle, Bro. James Kelly, and Bro. John Kerr ). Those four covered the years from 1963-1991.

Bro. Robert Sullivan 1963-1967 [he is pictured at left in this photo with Brother John Kerr): The first principal in school history who had to build everything from scratch. Left Xavier after the first graduating class to become Novice Master and Scholastic Director at Newton Highlands. He also taught philosophy at Newton College of the Sacred Heart before returning to St. John's Prep where he taught philosophy and psychology for five years and advanced placement physics for 10 years. From 1986 until he retired in 1992, Bro. Robert was Headmaster of Malden Catholic High School.

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