Principal Profiles

Name: Kevin Lewis

Current School: Xavier Catholic College, Ballina NSW 

Previous Position: Principal - St Paul’s Catholic College, Kempsey NSW

First year as Principal: 2013

My big picture for my current school is: We have recently undergone a School Improvement process and have identified areas that need a renewed focus. One of these is a relatively untapped area of parent partnership. Developing and refining a strong parent partnership can be pivotal in ensuring you have all stakeholders onboard for growth and development of your community.

The Joy of Principalship is: Setting in place a vision for success, providing the right resources and support for it to progress, selling that vision to your teams and then letting them loose as professionals to make it come to life. Most often the end result is evidenced in the great outcomes for your students, whether they be academic, pastoral/relational, employment or social outcomes.

Favourite book: The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit and Nine Lies About Work

Favourite food: Anything Thai, roast lamb and vegetables, steak on the BBQ.

Interests/hobbies: Playing hockey (badly) and beach/headland running which mostly involves a lot of walking. Going to festivals (the more sedate daytime variety). Camping and spending time with friends and family

My favourite wellbeing strategy: I ensure that most, if not all of my work is done before I leave the office. It is important that when I get home that I can switch off from work and be present. A good glass of red helps too.

Advice for a beginning Principal: Don’t be lured into thinking that just because you have been successful in getting a senior leadership role, that you are now required to be all things to all people. Your wellbeing is crucial and you need to make sure you have strategies in place from the get-go, otherwise those spaces where you had opportunity to attend to your needs will be quickly filled with other people’s agendas and items. You will then find that you suddenly have no time to look after yourself.

I would also strongly advise that you have a big focus on setting up high performing teams. You are the big picture thinker, but it will not come to fruition without teams that work effectively together and who use ‘team technology’ to get things done. Being the best, most well-rounded person in the school is not possible, and in fact it is dangerous to think you have to be. You need well-rounded teams, not well-rounded individuals. Well-rounded people who can do everything don’t exist in reality. You need to ensure you surround yourself with people who have strengths that complement yours, not replicate them.

Do not try to define your leadership by a set of qualities you may or may not possess. Your leadership is defined by the fact that you have a team of people who want to follow you or something about you. Find out what that thing is, nurture it and grow it as a real strength. Sure you can identify flaws or areas that need improvement, don’t ignore them as a goal to improve, but make sure you prioritise first your strengths as areas for growth. Growth does not come from fixing flaws or deficiencies, but from excelling in areas where we have the most talent.

Favourite leadership quote: “You cannot learn very much about excellence from studying failure.” ― Marcus Buckingham

What title would you give to your TED Talk or Book?: Nobody told me I had to do that…!!

Name: Wayne Chapman

Current School: Clairvaux MacKillop College, Upper Mt Gravatt

Previous Position: Principal, Mt Maria College, Petrie

First Year as a Principal: 2019

My big picture for my current school is: Clairvaux MacKillop College is a wonderful community. It is a huge and busy place. I hope to enhance the college processes to find efficiencies for our staff members who do amazing work.  

The Joy of Principalship is: Seeing students and staff develop and grow.

Favourite Book: All the Light we Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Favourite Food: Anything spicey

Interests / Hobbies: I love to attend live music. A great day is one spent fishing!

My Favourite Well-Being Strategy: Spending quality time with family and friends as often as I can. regular exercise.

Advice for a Beginning Principal:  Trust the people around you to do their job and let them do it.

Favourite Leadership Quote: The fundamental pillars of school leadership are relationships; nothing substitutes for building and nurturing them (Joanne Rooney)

What Title would you give to your TED Talk or Book: Go gently.