My name is Sheldon Smith and it gives me great pleasure to be introduced as the founding principal of Northview International. The school is very well positioned to address a need for an American-style international school placed in the middle of a rapidly developing community. Leading such a venture is really the dream for any principal. There is a lot of scope for moulding the personality of the school. My aim is to build a strong ethos based on kindness and positivity and to extend that to everyone who comes into the Northview International School family. I look forward to meeting everyone.
Prior to Qatar, I have worked in Bangkok, Thailand; Medan, Indonesia, and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia going back to June 10 1998 when I first left Canada and began international teaching.
Management-wise, I left AL Khor International School as a Head of Student Affairs overseeing pupil development for over 4,500 pupils and over 600 staff. Most recently, I have completed a four-year tenure as Principal of Al Jazeera Academy where we were granted a six-year full accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC).
As we grow as a school, another aim is for Northview International School to also become an ACS WASC accredited school. The main reason for choosing WASC is they have a clearly defined focus on student learning and everything that helps develop the holistic pupil at its core – a mirror image of what Northview International School is embarking on. Although a couple of years off, we will be building on over-arching WASC elements from the outset as the WASC accreditation process is an all-inclusive one that emanates from the teachers and pupils up through every aspect of the school.
As a community, it is vitally important that all viewpoints are considered and are valued. Please do get in touch with me and let me know your thoughts about how you see Northview International being a successful school year on year. Please also enjoy the journey through to opening with me through my blog to find out more about this incredible school we are building.
