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Headmaster Rob Odell & Family |
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It is a real privilege to be part of the Cowan House family and we are looking forward to many happy years on the misty hillside of Hilton. Both Derryn and I have grown up in the Midlands area – schooling in Richmond and Pietermaritzburg and then teaching in and around Pietermaritzburg since 1993. We have three wonderful children – Amy, Laura and Murray.I believe that teachers are professional people and need to be treated as such. They must be given the freedom to be creative and innovative in their teaching approaches, provided with sufficient opportunity to develop themselves both professionally and personally, acknowledged regularly and meaningfully and, most importantly, we need to show the children that we have faith in their ability. |
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Unless the children are learning, we are not teaching. I believe that learning is most effective when we are able to engage with individuals and create an environment in which the children can flourish. Life and learning for a primary school child should be about experiences and we, as adults, should strive to create these experiences for our children – both in and out of the classroom environment. We must be constantly aware of imparting skills rather than teaching pure content. It is these individuals who are effectively able to learn, unlearn and relearn who are going to be the most significant role players of the future. I believe that a Cowan House experience offers both balance and opportunity for the children. The healthy balance of friendship inspired by our happy, co-educational environment; the nurturing of thoughts and creativity by inspired teachers; the wholesomeness of sport encouraged by energetic coaches; the camaraderie of staff bonded by common goals and interests; and the beauty of nature captured in our magnificent grounds, is a perfect setting to instil sound values and timeless principles that will carry and inspire our children throughout their lives. So, as we strive to be ourselves, be reasonable, be caring and be our best, let's consider these words from the famous Dr Seuss: "Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no-one alive who is Youer than you." Let's celebrate that together. |
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Headmaster
