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LIFE&FAMILY
136
October14
Tell us about your motivation to
move to Singapore. Will you be
moving with family?
I’ve always found Singapore to be
an exciting and vibrant city with a
rich cultural diversity that makes it a
microcosm of the world. However, the
main attraction for the move is Avondale
Grammar School. It embodies all the
values that I hold dear as an educator,
with each child being valued and
respected as an individual. My husband
Adrian, who also enjoys Singapore,
works in the resources industry in
Queensland and will regularly commute
between Brisbane and here.
Is it a big change of pace from
Adelaide?
Adelaide is not as quiet as it first may
seem, although rush hour is certainly
not the same as rush hour in Singapore!
However, having also lived in Houston,
Texas, I am used to fast-paced city living
as well.
Have you worked in Asia before?
I’m fortunate to have travelled extensively
in Asia. Representing the Council of
International Schools, I visited Hong
Kong and Vietnam as part of the school
accreditation programme. I travelled
regularly to Singapore, Malaysia,
Indonesia and Brunei to meet with
students who were interested in studying
in Australia, and I accompanied a
student group on a fascinating three-
week tour of China.
Joining
Avondale Grammar School
this month as
Principal is HELENA SOBULIS. She makes the move to
Singapore after nine years as Vice-Principal at Walford
Anglican School for Girls, a leading independent school
in South Australia.
Tell us about your
career background in
Australia.
I ’ v e h a d t h e g o o d
f o r t u n e t o wo r k i n
leading independent
schools in Australia,
with responsibility for
the strategic and operational aspects
of the schools as well as curriculum
development. I’ve also played key
advisory roles in education at State and
National levels, and I keep abreast of best
practice in school leadership throughmy
membership of the Australian Council for
Educational Leaders.
What educational practices do
you plan to implement?
I’m passionate about personal
development for all staff. Our goal
at Avondale Grammar School is to
achieve and maintain world-leading
education performance. Our aim is
to stay amongst Australia’s leading
schools so that we match the very best
educational standards.
Avondale attracts teachers of the
highest quality and their teachingpractice
is the greatest force for achieving our
goal. We place tremendous emphasis
on supporting our teaching staff to build
on the strong foundations for continuing
outstanding student performance.
We will continue to instil in our
students excellent communication skills,
strong literacy, numeracy and academic
skills and a passion for learning.
What do you do in your
spare time?
As an avid fan of the arts, particularly
the performing arts, I regularly attended
cultural festivals in Adelaide and plan to
take advantage of the rich cultural life of
Singapore. I’m currently learning to play
the piano, but it’s rather a slow process!
I strive to stay fit with light gym work and
Pilates classes. The remainder of my
spare time is spent writing my doctoral
thesis about cross-cultural childhood
experiences, which I hope to complete
while living here.
Singapore is renowned for its
food. Do you like eating out?
Yes, much more than cooking! I love
seafood; black pepper crab is one of
my favourite dishes – I’ve been known
to stop over in Singapore on my way to
Europe just to order it! And I look forward
to sampling different international
cuisines, especially while dining al
fresco in balmy Singapore evenings.
Avondale’s
Avondale Grammar School is at
318 Tanglin Road, Phoenix Park.
6258 8544 | avondale.edu.sg