The Giddens School Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of Robert Kogane as Head of Giddens School, an independent school serving preschool through fifth-grade students located in the central district of Seattle. Kogane will transition from his role as 2009-2010 Interim Head to ongoing Head of School effective July 1, 2010.
Robert Kogane brings more than thirty years of experience in teaching and school administration to his position at Giddens. He was a Teacher, Assistant Principal and Principal in the Shoreline School District, Principal of Whitman Middle School in Seattle, and Leadership Development Coordinator for Seattle Public Schools. Early in his career, Kogane founded an alternative public high school in the Shoreline District and led it for nine years. Prior to joining Giddens, Kogane served as Instructional Leadership Coach for Seattle Public Schools. Robert Kogane received his BA in English Literature from Whitman College, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from Seattle University, and his Administrative Certificate from Western Washington University.
“What attracted me to Giddens School,” Kogane says, “were its mission and its commitment to diversity, which is apparent throughout the school.” Giddens embraces and supports a community that is genuinely diverse in culture, socio-economic status, race, ethnicity and family structure. The school works hard to sustain a robust financial assistance program to ensure its diversity at every level. “Giddens’ mission revolves around academic excellence, critical thinking skills, and social responsibility. Through these three pillars, Giddens sends its students out to ‘better their world.’ As an educator, I’ve always felt a commitment to educate each and every child,” adds Kogane. “Since we have equity and social justice at our core, we have a responsibility to give all our students a superior education to prepare them to succeed and lead in the 21st century.”
Giddens School was founded in 1972, as the Happy Medium School. Its name was changed in 2005 in honor of the founding director, Huda Giddens. Giddens School provides an academically excellent curriculum enriched with a commitment to critical thinking and social responsibility. Staff and families create a community that nourishes diversity, sense of self, and love of learning. Grounded in equity and justice, Giddens School inspires children to actively engage in bettering their world.
“We believe in hands-on, engaging, and collaborative assignments that allow students opportunities to learn from the teacher, their peers, other adults, and themselves,” says Kogane. “We want them to be connected to the world outside our school as well, so projects like growing and delivering food to our local food bank are incorporated into our curriculum. We want the students to have the academic, critical thinking, and leadership skills they need to participate in transforming their world. Our vision is centered on the emotional, social, and academic development of the students. Emotional development gives them the self-confidence and self-awareness to improve their world. Social development gives them the desire to do it, and academic development gives them the 21st-century skills to be successful in improving their world. At Giddens School, we believe in a strong, consistent core curriculum, but are flexible in capturing teachable moments. Through this approach, we can truly prepare and inspire children to better their world.”
For further information, please call (206) 324-4847 or visit the Giddens School website.
Giddens School Mission Statement:
Giddens School provides an academically excellent curriculum enriched with a commitment to critical thinking and social responsibility. Staff and families create a community that nourishes diversity, sense of self, and love of learning.
Giddens School Vision Statement:
Giddens School, grounded in equity and justice, inspires children to actively engage in bettering their world.