The Future is Bright

After thirty-one years serving as the head of various schools, headmaster Hal Hannaford is hanging up the skates. Taking his place will be longtime Selwyn faculty member, Mr. Mike Downey. With Mr. Downey moving into the head office, this leaves the Senior School office to be filled. Taking on this task will be a Selwyn newcomer, Mr. Neil Banerjee.

Mr. Banerjee has been involved in education for fourteen years, teaching physical education and media technology at Pierrefonds Comprehensive, holding the position of vice principal at Beurling Academy, and most recently being the principal at Kells Academy. Mr. Banerjee has coached futsal, basketball, soccer, lacrosse, and volleyball, and in 2016, he led his Beurling Bantam basketball team to a championship. Upon interviewing Mr. Banerjee, I asked what drew him to want to come work at Selwyn, and two things stood out to him. Firstly, he was drawn by the fantastic athletics program headed by Mr. Mike Maurovich. Our program has dominated, and produced exceptional athletes for decades, making it an attractive asset to our school. Secondly, he stated that he liked the opportunity in front of him, to guide young men and be a role model for the future.

In his own words, Mr. Banerjee’s vision for the Senior School is to “foster an enriching environment, one where lifelong learning and academic excellence is valued, and where students can thrive.”. He spoke on the importance of extracurricular activities, the arts, athletics, and how those three aspects of school life are crucial to cultivating that enriching environment. Investing time into these areas builds community, and makes the school more united. In guiding us young men, Mr. Banerjee believes in helping boys lead purposeful lives, where we develop long lasting relationships and build empathy and trust amongst one another. Working on becoming better leaders, and strengthening our capacity for resilience will greatly help us succeed after we leave Selwyn. These are the things Mr. Banerjee wishes to help future students accomplish.

My interview with Mr. Banerjee went smoothly, and I believe he is the right man for the job. It took Mr. Banerjee to be an easy going man, but one who means business at the same time. I believe this cool, calm, and collected type of personality is exactly what Selwyn needs in its new Head of Senior School. The job comes with a lot of challenges, and there is a lot of pressure, but Mr. Banerjee, along with his love of futsal and ball, is ready for the task at hand.

We congratulate Mr. Banerjee on his appointment, and we are happy to have him as part of the Selwyn community. We also thank Mr. Downey for his time as Senior School head, as well as Mr. Hannaford for holding the reins these past years. The future is bright.