Testimonials
John Hendry worked with me and a small team at Geelong Grammar School to create and define Positive Education. He has remained at the forefront and is a leading thinker and a leading practitioner in this significant and growing field.
Martin Seligman
Founder of Positive Psychology
Director of the Penn Positive Psychology Centre
I thank John Hendry for his ongoing and significant leadership and for the wonderful steps he has taken to lead the school (Geelong Grammar School) to a culture that promotes care and therefore wellbeing.
George Vaillant
Professor, Harvard Medical School
Director of Research, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
John Hendry is one of the most committed, compassionate and caring individuals, I have ever met. I have known John for more than a decade and have worked with him numerous endeavours. While interacting with others, especially students, John displays an exceptional degree of sensitivity, responsiveness, kindness, authenticity and integrity. Never have I met John without experiencing his verve, wisdom and simple playfulness.
John has been the catalyst in transforming Geelong Grammar School (GGS)–an elite academic institute–into a caring, empathic and thriving community of learning and growth.
Tayyab Rashid, Ph.D., C.Psych.
Psychologist and Researcher
University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada
President, Clinical Division, International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA)
Co-chair, Campus Mental Health, Canada
John Hendry OAM (Hendo) is known throughout the Geelong Grammar School (GGS) community as a wise, caring and inspirational leader. He has made a significant and lasting impact on the culture of the School and has led the development of GGS’s highly regarded relationship management model.
John has been a staff member at GGS since 1980 and was the Director of Student Welfare from 2005 to 2015 where he oversaw the development of pastoral care policies and practices at the School. John’s focus is the area of relationship management and he currently works as both an elder and consultant for the School’s Institute of Positive Education. He contends that institutional culture determines wellbeing and the capacity for each teacher and student to thrive. Wellbeing is fundamentally determined by the capacity to forgive.
John has been a core driver of the school’s implementation of Positive Education and his relationship models have underpinned the successful approach the school has taken in fostering wellbeing for all members of the school community.
Justin Robinson
Director
Institute of Positive Education
John has worked with us in partnership to understand our context and work to embedding the principles and practices of Positive Education We have been very authentic in our approach, led by John. This is not a program that is ‘done’ at our school, we learn it and live it and we are seeing the benefits every day. Our work is foundationally based on relationships and relationship reparation when something goes astray. We take the time to talk to students and get to understand their needs, strengths, worries and goals. Students are treated as individuals; we support each and every one to flourish in development as a learner, a person and a global citizen. We work with students to identify their signature strengths, knowing all of our children have these and nurture those which are not used so often.
Colette Bos
Principal，Salisbury North P-7 School, South Australia
HKUGA Primary School was privileged to have John Hendry conduct a rewarding consultancy visit to our school. During the 3-day visit (May 23 to 25, 2018), John observed a few lessons, talked to our different stakeholders including the school management, parents, teachers and students, and gave us a enlightening talk on incorporating Positive Education into the school culture. Subsequently, John provided an insightful and inspiring diagnosis concluding his observation with pragmatic suggestions to our journey of Positive Education. John’s input has helped us rethink and review what resilience and relationships mean and how we can effectively incorporate these into our school.
Dennis Ng
Vice Principal
HKUGA Primary School
