ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Gavin Keller, has been at Sun Valley for 16 years. He is the second Principal, following in the steps of the Founder Principal-John Florence.
Mr Keller is an ‘old' SACS boy, completing his Matric at SACS in 1976 and studying at Port Elizabeth Teachers' College, Cape Town Teachers' College and Rhodes University. He started teaching at Kirstenhof Primary School in Cape Town in 1985, was appointed Head of Department at Muizenberg Junior in 1989 and Principal of Sun Valley in 1993.
He is passionate about education. He firmly believes that if the first seven years are dynamic-a child will develop all the necessary skills, concepts and attitudes and values necessary for success in life. Success, he believes, is dependent on having a good self-value, being in a learning organisation where there are high expectations and being given the skills to cope effectively with what the future world demands. It is the school's role therefore, to develop a good self-value in each child, to set high, but realistic expectations and to predict what the world will demand by the time the learners reach adulthood.
In order to achieve this, Gavin and his staff have set about to create a curriculum that is fully integrated with exciting, future-based, relevant and dynamic programme organisers. Supported by outstanding teachers and visionary leaders, the school has become well known both nationally and internationally as a model outcomes-based school. He travels regularly in Southern Africa and internationally, sharing his expertise on Brain-based Teaching, Learning and Leading, Curriculum Integration, Emotional Intelligence, Executive Access, Co-operative Learning and School Leadership. He has run seminars and workshops in Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, United Arab Emirates and in most provinces in South Africa. He is currently the CEO of Sun Valley Group of Schools, an Association incorporated under Section 21 which serves as The Business Behind Public Education. This company raises money to make sure that our public school has the capacity to function at the level of the best schools - anywhere in the world. The Academy runs a Home Base after-care unit for 130 students, a Teaching Academy offering a B Ed degree for 12 full-time students, a School Uniform Boutique, an Independent High School, a Music Academy with 300 students, a Sports Academy attracting over 300 students, a Restaurant that feeds the students and a Funscapes (Art & Culture) programme.
Mr Keller enjoys keeping abreast with modern international trends. In 1999 he attended the International Confederation of Principals' Conference in Helsinki, Finland and in 2002 he participated in the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) convention in San Antonio, Texas. In 2004 he attended an ASCD (Association of Supervision and Curriculum development) Convention in New Orleans. In 2006 he attended the Brain Expo in Orlando, Florida, USA. In July 2008, he again attended the Brain Expo in Orlando, Florida. He is regarded as an expert in brain-based teaching, learning an leading and keeps abreast with all the latest research-based techniques in education.
Mr Keller is a member of the NAPTOSA-Professional Growth Team. This team runs weekend seminars for teachers in the Western and Eastern Cape. Here teachers and school leaders are equipped with the latest methods and approaches used internationally. He is the past President of the Western Cape chapter of the South African Principals' Association (SAPA) and served on the National Executive of this Association. He currently serves as a consultant to SAPA, guiding them in professional development programmes. He runs the SAPA LEAD (Leadership Advantage) programme providing two day professional development seminars for school leaders. He is the Academic Director of their annual Teachers' Conference held at the CTICC.
"Whether I work with teachers in wealthy, modern, well-equipped schools or teachers who work in rural, under-privileged environments-I remain astounded how teachers have an insatiable desire to improve their teaching capacity. There is an urgent need in our country for good teacher training from practitioners who know what they are talking about!"
"School is about making memories!" he says. " We have twelve years (and a mere 12 000 hours) to offer them the best possible education, but more than that-we have twelve years to generate memories that learning is fun and that school is a good place to be. School is the place where we develop life-long learners!"