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Dear John G. Diefenbaker Community
It is with great excitement that I am introducing myself to you as the new Principal of John G. Diefenbaker High School. My 25 years in education have provided me with a wide range of opportunities to develop my understanding of teaching, learning and leading. I have teaching experience from kindergarten through to grade twelve in numerous curriculums, within the CBE as well as teaching within Australia. As an Administrator, I have led schools in all age divisions, held system leadership positions, and supported numerous special education programs within the CBE. My positions include three years at Alex Munro School, which feeds into JGD. I have most recently come from Queen Elizabeth High School that shares some communities with JGD.
I am a strong believer in personalization of learning for students. All students need to have opportunities to be successful available for them. It is my belief that schools strive to create an environment where the entire school community feel they belong and have chances to express who they are, to build connections, and to grow as individuals; this can be through Fine and Performing Arts, Athletics, Academics and a variety of clubs and specific interest groups. I believe in high expectations from everyone in the school community and in supporting people to meet those expectations.
I am looking forward to bringing my experience to the strong staff here at JGD as we work together with our community to make JGD the best school as possible for all students.
I encourage all of you, parents and guardians, in our school community to join our School Council to provide voice and feedback as JGD evolves as a school in the coming years.
Please do not hesitate to contact the school if you ever have questions or concerns. Ideally, you would start with the teacher or staff member involved in the situation; however, if this is not possible you can always contact the office for support.
Sincerely,
Jason Arrell, Principal​