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Geoff Heney:  
A Leading Light

by Carrie Chen

When you’re in a room with Geoff Heney, Gayle Renken, and Andrea Strutin, the laughter is contagious. The trio makes up the Lower Primary (LP) leadership and is rarely seen apart from each other, whether they are greeting students getting off the bus in the morning or directing traffic at the foot of South Bay Close on parent conference days. They are at the heart of the Lower Primary, and there is one word to describe the vibe they create: Fun.

Geoff Heney takes a moment to make students feel a genuine connection with their Principal.

Geoff recalls his first days as the new LP Principal when he arrived in August 2018 and the sheer logistics of running a division of 40 homeroom teachers and 775 students between the ages of 4-8 years old. A meeting about a field trip would almost exclusively be about how to logistically execute such a complex operation.

Gayle also re-joined HKIS the same year as Associate Principal. Gayle previously taught at HKIS in the 1990’s. To complete the then trio was Margarita Mendez, who had arrived only a year earlier as the second Associate Principal. A largely brand-new administrative team, Geoff set about re-thinking the way to approach such a monolith of an organization.

Geoff knew HKIS had a strong early childhood education foundation, especially in the reception years. He wanted to make sure playful inquiry continued all the way through to Grade 2 and into Upper Primary. And he wanted to make sure every child could access the curriculum.

Geoff maintains that play is not an addition to curriculum but is an approach to learning. Teachers need to move between a continuum of direct instruction to free play, remaining responsive to learning to reach children in an authentic way.

WATCH

 Principal Geoff Heney introduces the HKIS Lower Primary School's approach to learning through play.

Data-Driven Learning
While it seems like it’s all fun and games at the LP, the team of grade-level and specialist teachers, educational assistants, counselors, and learning specialists are all moving in one direction. Geoff describes how he needed to make divisional goals and stay focused on them for an extended time, even as long as three years to keep the ship steering in the same direction. And the work is all research-based.

Take reading, as an example. Acknowledging that children's brains are not wired for reading and writing, it was necessary to embed phonics to make students more skillful readers. Phonics largely being a direct instructional tool, the team set about how to make the curriculum follow the same principles of playful inquiry. They introduced vowel teams and used actions to manipulate sounds and segment words. They didn’t deviate from the workshop model, which emphasizes a student’s identity as a reader or a writer.

Most recently, the LP implemented DIBELS as the literacy assessment tool that allows teachers to screen literacy skills regularly and tailor teaching in their classroom to meet the needs of all students. Grade levels now come together and use data to adjust or change practice in an entire grade. Teachers can use small group teaching or one-to-one strategies where needed.

Geoff presents about the Lower Primary approach to student learning at a panel with fellow international school administrators.

Learning Post-Pandemic
It's clear that learning at the Lower Primary is student focused. The team shared that they are only just getting back to a typical student body with the current Reception 1 and 2 students. In many ways, Grade 1 and 2 students are still recovering from the pandemic. And their parents still have anxiety left over from that time. It means they must focus on making learning more authentic for those kids. 

“When curiosity is piqued, kids will connect and take control of their learning. Having choice and agency allows them to have a growth mindset,” says Andrea.

The team introduced more outdoor learning units particularly for this post-pandemic cohort of students. Outdoor learning creates a higher level of sensory engagement and has a greater calming effect, allowing students to regulate their body and improve executive function. The outdoor units have a continued place in the classroom as technology becomes the latest change in the way kids interact with the world. “Childhood has changed, and we need to be responsive to that,” says Gayle. She quips that the outdoor learning has been great for teachers too, increasing their energy levels as they plan learning at the beach or in the mountains.

Geoff explains that we can’t assume students come to us with a certain set of experiences, and we can’t expect kids to fit into our model. We need to meet them where they are.

Just listen for the laughter and you'll be able to find Geoff, Gayle and Andrea—the Lower Primary admin team.

A Leading Light
When asked how they view Geoff as a leader, Gayle and Andrea describe him as their North Star. “His joyful, playful approach to leadership has left an indelible mark on the LP.” They note that even amid difficult times, he finds the positive, the ways to laugh, and things to celebrate. Kids love him. He has connections with every single kid in this building.

While Geoff will leave a great, big, giant hole in the LP and this trio, Gayle and Andrea say they are poised to become even better with everything Geoff has put in place. With the arrival of incoming Principal Elizabeth Elizardi, there will a continued focus on Early Childhood learning. Elizabeth will bring in new research as they continue to grow and adapt to student needs. “Change is always a good thing. It’s not always easy, but it’s important,” says Gayle.

Principal Geoff Heney kneels to greet a student as they enter school at the start of the day.

As we say farewell to Geoff Heney, our hearts are sad, but we can’t help but be joyful as we think about him walking through the crowds of children calling out “Mr. Heney! Mr. Heney!” He is truly a rockstar, and we will miss him dearly.