Christopher Poole re- joined the teaching team at Cornerstone at the beginning of the 2013 school year.  Together with his wife Dale, Chris made the move South after previously holding a position at Carmel Adventist College in Perth.  The College is absolutely delighted to have a man with such experience and expertise responsible for the education of our students in the Maths and Science fields.

Chris holds all the necessary qualifications and more for the role he has at Cornerstone.  He holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Metallurgy and Materials Technology from the University of Aston in Birmingham (UK) and a Graduate Diploma of Education (Science & Maths) from Edith Cowan University.  In addition to the tertiary education he has undertaken, Chris also holds a wealth of experience that enhance his contribution to the educational success of his students.  He has held the position of Head of Science at Carmel, and was previously Head of Bible. He has managed his own company, worked as a metallurgist and also as a research engineer.  His leadership at a school level is also displayed by the contribution he has made as a director on the Board of Management for the Adventist School System within Western Australia.

Chris has a strong belief in his role as an educator.  In the preparation of this page, he submitted the following personal teaching philosophy to provide an understanding of why he is such a strong believer in his calling.

‘Education gives all people, particularly young people, the chance to express themselves, to learn about themselves and about the world around them, and to learn about God.

All students learn best when they are motivated to learn – indeed it can be argued that no learning ever takes place without motivation.

It is thus my primary task as a teacher to motivate students to learn, rather than forcing learning upon reluctant students. Once motivated, it will be hard to stop students learning, rather than battling to get students working.

As a Physical Science and Mathematics teacher, it is also my role to open the eyes of my students to the wonders of the Universe, to the logic and intricacies of pure and applied mathematics, and the astonishing interconnected complexity, yet at the same time profound simplicity, of the Universe that God has created.

It is my goal to create a classroom of motivated learners, students in the true sense, young people for whom study is an end in itself, and for whom learning is an interesting, exciting and fulfilling task.’

His greatest desire for his students is for them to be self motivated lifelong learners, who look at the world intelligently, are able to understand the big issues, as well as being able to care for others in meaningful ways.

Chris is an engaging and likable member of the team at Cornerstone.  We are so glad that he is a part of the community here and his desire for excellence at all levels is reflected in the way in which he undertakes his work.