School Guide

Meet My Principal - Oasis International School

Published by SchoolAdvisor | May 28, 2019

He's not your average Joe. Ben Hale may be American but he's a true third culture kid; born in South Korea and grew up mainly in Southeast Asia. Asian culture has been a major influence in his life and he loves it. SchoolAdvisor had an amazing time sitting down with Mr Hale and discussing not only education but also the best spots to have nasi lemak.

What drew you into education in the first place?

Growing up in international schools gave me some insight as to how much of impact teachers can have. Although I didn’t initially plan to go into education, I always felt drawn to work with students that were going through similar experiences to me.

What do you think your school needs from its principal?

The Principal or Head of School is important, but the teachers are the heart of a school. My view is that the principal’s role is to find the right teachers and to help create a school culture and environment where both teachers and students can thrive. We also do some of the hard things so that teachers can focus on their instructional responsibilities.

What are the school’s strengths you will be building on?

We have a great group of founding teachers. Founding teachers need to have a pioneering spirit, and we have that! Starting a school is not easy, but we are building a caring and diverse community that will be our foundation in years to come.

What does education need to focus on in the future?

We all know that we are training children to do jobs that don’t even exist yet. Most educators understand this reality. The question becomes, What do students need to have gained before they leave our four walls? As schools, we must continue to ask this important question. We must even be willing to change the answer! For Oasis, the answer is stated in our Student Learning Outcomes, or SLOs, which focus on Character, Leadership, and Innovation.

If we were sitting here a year from now conducting an interview for recent success, what would you hope or want that success to be?

At this time next year, we would love to be celebrating the completion of our accreditation process. Accreditation is a requirement for schools in our network. The accreditation process is very important and allows schools to have real accountability and quality control from internationally recognized organizations. Going through the accreditation process will be a great success for Oasis!

How do you build a positive school culture? Give examples of how you do that here.

School culture is not built in a day, and it is not an exact science. I view school culture as a combination of the mentality with which all members of the school community view the school. The school community includes staff, students, parents, vendors, suppliers, neighbours, and others involved with the school. If we view the school as a place that owes us something, the culture will be a certain way. If we view the school as a service provider, the culture will be a different way. If we view the school as an adversary, the culture will be another way. Oasis wants to create a culture of family. Family is not always easy on you! A family may challenge you in ways others would not, but the family also is always there for you when you need to help through hard times. One way we promoted family and community before the school even opened was with community-building events; once per month, enrolled students and their families came together for a fun activity. The positive response from parents made it clear that this is something they value for their families.  

Fun Facts with Oasis International School Leaders