The School of Total Education (SOTE) is celebrating its 40-year milestone on Saturday 27 August and principal Shane Power said he hopes the day will connect past students, teachers and families with present and future families.
“The day is to acknowledge our history and how the school has developed, celebrate the community of care that is the SOTE philosophy, allow our past students to reconnect with each other, and to reflect on what they valued about the school,”; Shane said.
“It is a wonderful opportunity to share what we are doing with the whole Warwick community.”
The Prep to Year 12 school currently educates about 100 students and Shane has been principal for the past 12 years.
“The most rewarding thing is working with families to see their children blossom and build confidence,” he said.
SOTE’s unique approach to learning includes encouraging students to find out what they’re interested in and being taught to and through these interests, by the staff of 24 teachers.
“An important part of developing character is to not use competition as the motivation, so we don’t have gold stars, duxes, prefects, sports, or academic prizes,” Shane said.
“You’re recognised for doing well but not at the expense of someone else. Excellence is the motivator.”
One of the benefits of being a school that encompasses both primary and secondary according to Shane is the easy transition between the two, but also the valuable interactions between the older and younger kids. Each week the Year 11 and 12s hold a big game for all the primary children to join in.
A school driven by values, SOTE encourages the Warwick community to join in its celebrations on 28 August, which promises an action-filled day.
Planting the Seed
Seeded by an urge to contribute to a better world, The School of Total Education opened in Warwick more than 40 years ago with just five students and one building on what was then called Swagman’s Hill, overlooking Warwick.
This idealism envisioned an educational program that focused on teaching values as well as academic and technical skills, encouraging cooperation rather than competition and creating a community of care extending to both parents and teachers, supporting each in their important roles.
The unique program was created by visionary educationalist and author Vijayadev Yogendra, who foresaw the challenges society is facing today and saw education as the answer.
His model required the teacher to be the holder of values and a role model to the children.
He mandated small classes, allowing the teacher to be a mentor.
The School Today
With its emphasis on producing capable, confident and kind young people with an urge to contribute to the world, the school has grown to the extensive Prep to Year 12 campus we see today.
While remaining deliberately small, the school provides modern classrooms, science and arts facilities, auditoriums and an indoor sports centre.
Our unique program as developed by the founder has expanded to incorporate an Outdoor Education Centre, the Year 9 Discovery Centre and the Rites of Passage program, designed with the assistance of Dr Arne Rubinstein of the Rites of Passage Institute.
Our Graduates Our students are guided to develop their intrinsic motivation, enabling them to pursue their areas of interest and establish fulfilling careers.
Our graduates, now numbering over 200, have gone on to become teachers, artists, actors, tradespeople, entrepreneurs, lawyers, surgeons, environmentalists, aerospace engineers, authors, musicians, economists, IT developers and so on.
They are to be found in the armed services, industry, academia and in senior public service positions.
Most importantly, they are good people making a contribution to their communities.
Celebrate Our 40th Anniversary with Us
We welcome you to join us on this special day and experience what makes us distinctive.
Call in any time between 10am and 3pm for a guided tour, enjoy some performances, experience one of the famous home cooked SOTE lunches or share some refreshments with us.
Come and taste the renowned SOTE community experience.
We would love to have you visit.
