By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
EMERSON School’s inspirational principal John Mooney is on a mission to “disturb” people into a new way of thinking.
Mr Mooney is a finalist in the school leadership category of this year’s Victorian Education Excellence Awards.
For 15 years, he has nurtured Emerson School to become a leading specialist school – he prefers that term to ‘special school’.
Last week, its $8 million middle campus, largely funded from the school’s coffers, was formally opened.
The campus is on the former Greenslopes Primary School site. The project included a major refurbishment of the site’s 50-year-old buildings, fibre-optic broadband connection and the construction of an indoor basketball court and gymnasium.
Mr Mooney said it gave the previously overcrowded school with a soaring reputation a chance to spread its wings and to help more students with mild intellectual disabilities.
The pay-off for Mr Mooney is grateful parents who feel the load has been taken off their shoulders.
“In the past, we didn’t really publicise ourselves because we were already full. Often I hear a parent say, ‘why didn’t I hear about this school four years ago?’.
“Their daughter didn’t have any friends and now she’s getting invited to birthday parties. There’s that strong desire to belong and to stand on your own two feet.”
He says he believes in tapping into each student’s talents, and talks of the inherent wisdom of his students.
Student retention rates have soared to 94 per cent. Of last year’s 182 school leavers, 134 have found work or further training.
“I want the success of Emerson to disturb you into a new way of thinking,” Mr Mooney said. “By maximising their chances of total inclusion and reducing drop-outs, it can be shown they can go places.”
If he wins this year’s excellence awards, he gets $50,000 for researching ways to improve ‘indicators of success’ across the state’s public and independent schools.
But Mr Mooney isn’t particularly driven by such rewards – the interaction with his students is enough.
He tells of a student with autism who rarely looked anyone in the eye.
“On the day he left, he stuck out his hand and looked me right in the eye. He said, ‘I want to thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I’ll never forget it’. I said, ‘We’re friends forever’.”
For all the latest breaking news, visit greaterdandenongweekly.com.au. Follow the Greater Dandenong Weekly on Twitter @DandenongWeekly.
