New Principal for Emanuel School
Emanuel School has appointed Anne Hastings as its new principal to replace Dr Bruce Carter, who is retiring at the end of this year.
Mrs Hastings, who is currently Deputy Principal K-12 at Kambala, will take up her post from January 1, 2010.
Announcing her appointment earlier this week, Emanuel President Jonathan Sesel described Mrs Hastings as having “a proven track record as an outstanding Australian educator and leader”.
“The Emanuel Board is entirely confident that under her leadership, Emanuel School will rise to new heights of excellence, building on the strong foundations established by Dr Carter over the past eight years,” Mr Sesel said in a statement.
Anne Hastings with retiring principal Dr Bruce Carter
Her appointment follows an intensive six-month search across Australia and overseas, which produced “a large number of highly qualified applicants,” Mr Sesel added.
Mrs Hastings said “the values of Emanuel School, such as commitment to excellence, empowerment, fulfilment, inclusivity and social responsibility, reflect my own”.
She has focused on improving learning and teaching at both primary and secondary levels throughout her career. Widely recognised for her expertise in curriculum design and school management, she has taught at a number of leading schools and had a period as Curriculum Officer and Inspector for the NSW Board of Studies.
She is also “a respected leader across Australia in Mathematics learning,” Mr Sesel said.
Dr Carter said: “That Mrs Hastings has emerged from such a strong field of candidates indicates that Emanuel School will be in excellent hands. Her reputation in schools is already strongly established. Mrs Hastings clearly has the experience, the insight, the intelligence, the vision and the compassion to take this very successful and happy School to even greater heights. I look forward to working closely with her over the next few months as we plan the transition.”
Before taking on her current Kambala role, Mrs Hastings was Head of the Mathematics Department and Manager of Special Projects at SCEGGS Darlinghurst. She was also Supervisor of Marking for HSC General Mathematics in NSW for five years.
She has a Bachelor of Science, Graduate Diplomas in Education and Computing, and a Master of Education, all from the University of NSW.
“Rather than filling up young people with knowledge, education should inspire them to learn, to love learning and to want to continue to learn all their life,” Mrs Hastings said.
“Schools should be safe and supportive environments where all students are encouraged to take up opportunities to achieve their utmost potential, whether in the academic, sporting, musical, artistic or social areas… We should aim to provide the educational programmes that ensure that our students develop into independent, articulate, confident, competent, honest citizens, who have integrity and empathy for their fellow human beings.”
Mrs Hastings is enthused about leading a Jewish Day School and excited by her School-sponsored visit to Israel at the end of next year.
She has considerable experience in pastoral care, professional staff development, strategic planning, management and information technology, Mr Sesel said.
She is married with two adult sons.
