October 14, 2024 • 19 mins
Simon Clark is the head of school at Discovery School in Mansfield. Simon was born in the U.K. and first moved to the US in 2006 to teach in North Carolina. He has caught in various states, and other countries, before coming to Ohio and Discovery School in 2018. Discovery will be celebrating their 50th year in 2025 and Simon shares all about the school, and more about his career in education, on the podcast.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The CEO you should Know, Brought to you by Roby
Foster Miller Eric Insurance. This week's CEO, Simon Clark, head
of School at Discovery School in Mansfield.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Good morning, Good morning, Erin. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Absolutely, I know I have heard that name in this
community for a long long time. So let's kind of
begin at this top. Love this program because we learn
about local organizations. So you have him in a here
tell us about Discovery School.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Wow, gosh, where to begin. Discovery School has been around
since nineteen seventy five, so it's exciting because next year,
in twenty twenty five, we'll be celebrating our fiftieth year
of approaching education differently and hopefully celebrating the thousands of
students that have been through Discovery School since its inception.
Alumni event coming up in September next year. Really excited
(00:55):
about that. Currently, our enrollment is around about one hundred
and forty five students from preschool up to sixth grade.
We have a number of classes that are full, but
we do have some availability in our grades and so
if people are interested, I would definitely recommend reaching out
to us through our website and it's just a great
(01:16):
place for students to play to learn. Obviously, we've got
our academics down. Our math scores and ELA scores at
sixth grade are regularly above the stay average by many points,
which is exciting, and I think that's proof that everything
that we do underneath there is working through our field trips,
through play activities, through real worlds engagement and developing critical
(01:42):
thinking skills. It's always a busy place to be, that's right,
so exciting being ahead of school, though.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
I can tell by the smile on your face, is
you hear this morning from Simon Clark. He is this
week's CEO. You should know he is the head of
school at Discovery School. So before we go any further,
let's tell people where are you located at.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
So we are located at fifty five Millsborough Road, so
just off of Trimble and Millsbrough, Well kind of step
back a little bit from the woods. You'd have to
look for us. But that's something that we wear as
kind of a badge of honor because we're the little
school in the woods and I've given many to us
to families throughout the area and they had no idea
(02:20):
everything that was included with Discovery School because we're kind
of hidden back there. So I definitely would recommend anybody
who might be interested to yeah, come by and pass
a visit.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Now, you're located in Mansfield, as you mentioned. Now, how
far do students come from? Is it just Richland County
or do they come from further That great question.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yes, so we have out of our whole enrollment, we
predominantly students are from Richland County Mansfield area, but we
also enroll from Ashland County, from Crawford County, Morra County
as well. Families that come and visit Discovery School and
they eager to find something different for their child that
foster's outdoor education and a range of skills and development
(03:03):
that goes beyond what they might find in their public school.
So yeah, so we're fortunate to have a range of
perspectives and locations from around Ohio.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Now, how long have you been in your current role?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
So I have been the head of school for the
past this is in my second year.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Okay, Now how long overall have you been with Discovery School.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I joined Discovery School in twenty eighteen as the assistant
head of school and then the PYP coordinator. The curriculum coordinator.
So it was a recent promotion to step up when
our previous head of school, Julie Schwartz, moved on. So
it's been exciting time I've developed relationships with families and students,
and so stepping up to be the head of school
(03:45):
wasn't as challenging as I thought it would be because
I had already made those connections with people.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
I can tell you that you're excited just by the
smile on your face and to hear you talk about
the school.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
I'm very passionate about Discovery School and the education opportunities
that we offer to our families and our students. And yeah,
and our teachers are some of the most wonderful I've
taught in schools around the world. And yeah, our teachers
go above and beyond for the needs of our students,
which I really couldn't ask for anything more.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
And that is super to hear. Is the voice you
hear this morning is Simon Clark. He is the head
of school and Discovery School in Mansfield. He is this
week's CEO. You should know, all right, so you talked
about everything you teach. Could you share with us just
a little bit about the curriculum.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Yeah, absolutely so, obviously, as well as the hammering down
the basics through ELA, English Language, Arts and math, and
the social studies and sciences, and making sure that our
students are able to succeed when they graduate from Discovery
School in sixth grade. We're also an International Baccalaureate school,
and so the International Bacalaureate IB has four programs it
(04:54):
offers to schools around the world. Discovery School is authorized
to offer the Primary Years Program, which is the mentory
age program for students from three to eleven, and it
is a rigorous, engaging, relevant curriculum focus that's aligned with
the Ohio State standards and it allows students to ask questions,
(05:14):
encourages them to be agentic learners, to consider how they
might arrive at information and how they might get there,
and thinking about process perhaps over product, which brings students
in on the conversation of learning. It's no longer something
that the teacher kind of disseminates to the students. They're
involved in the learning process. And so yeah, through that
(05:37):
inquiry piece and then also through action, we encourage our
students that once they have understood something or learned something,
what can they do with that next. And so through
my time at Discovery School, we have had drives for
the Humane Society, for the Soup kitchen in downtown Mansfield,
litical cleanups, We've had a whole host of event that
(06:00):
have taken place that have been driven by the student's
passion for people in their community and they want to
make a difference.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
So it's great to hear the students getting involved, right yescisely.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yes, and that's it. And so if you go into
one of our costumes, you won't see students passively sitting
around perhaps staring out the window. They're actively engaged, they're
asking questions, they're collaborating, and so these are skills that
they can take with them as they graduate out of
Discovery School.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Really cool to hear the story this morning of Discovery
School in Mansfield and they're head of school. Who is
with us in studio this week's CEO. You should know
that is Simon Clark. All right, before we go any further,
how many teachers roughly do you guys have?
Speaker 2 (06:45):
So this year we're fortunate because we actually have a
grant that we received from the State of Ohio which
allowed us to provide a stem position for our students
in a STEM lab with a range of resources. So
currently we are staff of around about thirty. So we
have two teachers at every grade level apart from kindergarten
and pre k where we have two. And then also
(07:08):
we have teaching assistants who kind of fulfill a double role.
In the morning they are working with the classroom teachers
in kindergarten or in pre K in first grade as
well actually, and then the afternoon they go and teach
their respective special so that might be STEM, that might
be woods, class could be health or art. And so
with all those and the support that they're able to offer,
(07:31):
it means that we have a very low student to
teach a ratio. So if you think in public schools
it might be something around one to twenty five, in
our lower grades it's actually one to ten or less
than that. So the students are able to get the
support they need, which helps us to make sure that
students are scoring well above the stay average by the
(07:52):
time they graduate in sixth grade.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
All right, now, when did school start for you guys
with August?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Yes, okay, third week of August.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
How's gone so far?
Speaker 2 (08:01):
It's been great. We have had some great learning taking places.
Two weeks ago, we had all of our elementary grades
apart from kindergarten, taking field trips, so they were out
and about. They went to or s U Mansfield to
watch one of the performances there. Another grade went to
the National Veterans Memorial Museum in Columbus, and then our
(08:22):
fifth and sixth grade students went to Seneca Caverns as
part of their inquiry into geology.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
So out of field trips, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Taking their learning out on the road. And so they're
engaged with that and they're excited and parents love to
participate in as well. As I said, we're fortunate we
have an amazing parent body who will love to chaperon.
And really that community feel that Discovery has is what
makes it special because we have one hundred and forty
(08:49):
students in the school and so we're like kind of
a big family.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Nice. I know, when I was in school, I love
field trips. It was always cool to go out and
learn those kind of things. Awesome, Well, we are learning
this morning all about Simon Clark, this week's CEO. You
should know who is the head of school at Discovery
School in Mansfield. Before I let him go we got
to find out more about him. So let's step back
to the very beginning. I'm sure people listening are saying,
(09:13):
I wonder where Simon is from. So let's go back
to the very beginning. If you would tell us where
was Simon Clark born.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
That's a good question. So, yes, my accent probably might
give me away a little bit. So I am originally
from the United Kingdom. So I'm from England and the
northeast of England, so very near to Durham Newcastle. My
hometown that is very small. I'd be very surprised if
anybody has heard of is Newton Aycliffe, and so I
(09:44):
lived there before I went to university in York in
the center of the country. And so yeah, that's where
I spent my life up until I left the UK
in about two thousand and six.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Okay, they're googling right now where they're looking at now,
if you would tell us about coming to the United
States and teaching, if you.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Would, yeah, absolutely, And so I actually when I first
left the United Kingdom in two thousand and six, I
worked for two years in North Carolina, and so that
was an interesting experience. It was my first time teaching
internationally my first time living anywhere else outside of the UK,
So there was a big culture shock associated with that,
but I also got to broaden my perspectives of what
(10:30):
education can look like. Some of the challenges that perhaps
is fist in the US schools would be different to
ones that we have in Mohattan schools in the UK,
and so it was a great opportunity. It brought in
my horizons and it definitely kind of got my taste
for working internationally.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Now, when you were growing up, did you always want
to be a teacher? Was that always something? And then
on top of that as well, what made you say
I like to teach, you know, internationally?
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Well, well, I mean traveling was always something that interested me.
Every year when my parents were off work, we would
always travel around the area and go to kind of
tourist destinations and things that would be interesting, and so
that was always something that I look forward to. It's
usually the first two weeks of August, and so that
travel that I was able to have with my parents
(11:22):
and my family definitely kind of made me curious about
the wider world, and so I knew that I did
want to be a teacher from a young age. From
my time in elementary school, I was able to kind
of have a range of teachers that impacted my life
in a variety of ways, and I thought it's pretty
cool to be able to do that, and so yeah,
(11:42):
from there, I kind of went on and I did
a range of work experiences in primary schools and then
I figured I'd heard about this agency that would allow
you to work in North Carolina to teach. I was like, okay,
so that kind of brings my passion together for travel
and then also for teaching, and so I applied and
(12:03):
was accepted, and so I taught a second grade class
in high Point, North Carolina. I lived in Greensboro in
the Triad, and the way of life was very, very
different to what I'd been used to. I remember the
principal pulled me to one side and said that Simon,
you're in the South now, so you have to talk slower.
(12:25):
And so that was something that I became accustomed to.
Particularly when I speak to my dad and my family,
I tend to speak much quicker, and so I had
to be mindful of how I would communicate. And then
I also had the opportunity when I was working there
to travel around the US a lot, visiting New York,
San Francisco, and I actually drove through Ohio to go
(12:47):
to a wedding in Indiana. That was my first taste
of the Midwest, I suppose, And so yeah, from there after,
I decided that I wanted to continue to work internationally,
so I went and moved to Switzerland and so I
taught for two years. I taught third grade there at
a small town just north of Zurich on the Gym
(13:08):
border called Schafausen. So that was an experience and a
great outdoor opportunity and again great for traveling in the
center of Europe, Italy, France, Germany, all the way around.
After two years, I was eager for more opportunities, and
so I moved to Mexico City and I worked there
(13:28):
for three years. I taught first grade, and again lots
of opportunity to travel internationally and then also within Mexico.
And what was great was the classroom that I had
was such a culturally diverse group of students. We had
about twelve nationalities in my classroom from around the world,
which was amazing, and so yeah, that kind of again
(13:51):
broadened my mind about what education can be and the
various needs of students and the ways that we communicate.
And then I moved to California. So in twenty thirteen
was when I moved back to the US and I
worked in Berkeley as a curriculum coordinator, the PYP coordinator
for their program at Amandarin Immersion School in Berkeley, California.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
And then you've been in Ohio since one then twenty eighteen,
twenty eighteen.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Yes, so I was in California for five years, and
as well as being the curriculum coordinator, I also continued
to teach. So I taught kindergarten for a day a week,
second grade following year, and then I even actually went
up to seventh and eighth grade teaching, which was my
first time with the older students. It was an eye
(14:40):
opening experience.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Yes, great to learn your story.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Yeah, really cool. Simon Clark with us for just a
moment longer again, he is this week CEO. You should
know he is the head of school at Discovery School
in Mansfield. So we found out born in the UK,
and he's mentioned he's lived various places around the glow
of mind you but also in the US taught at
many places. Don't know, married kids, anything like that tell
us about Simon and the family.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
So I'm married. My husband's name is Perry, and so
we have dogs and cats, and that is the extent
of our family. And I like to think that the
children who attend Discovery School are probably my extended children,
particularly from the hoogs and everything that I get from
them on a daily basis. So yeah, So the animals
that we have at home, we have two dogs, three cats,
(15:27):
so they definitely keep us very busy.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
I was gonna say, I know that absolutely awesome. Now,
when you are not working, and I'm sure running a school,
there's a lot to oversee. What do you do in
your spare time? Do you have any hobbies? I know
you like to travel, right, well, start.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
There, traveling definitely, he's a big one. Yeah, I know
that spare time. Obviously, being the head of Discovery School
takes up a lot of my time, but it's a
labor of love. But I also like to work out,
and so I've been fortunate enough to meet some great
people in my time in Ohio and so hanging out
with them either running or working out the why and
(16:04):
then reading obviously making sure that reading for pleasure, but
also professionally as well, that I am continuing my journey
of being a lifelong learner. I think that I will
stay in education for as long as I am continuing
to learn about trends, about practices to make sure that
Discovery School continues to be at the cutting edge of education.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Well, great, before I let you go, We've thrown out
a lot of information this morning about Discovery School. So
somebody hears your voice and they're like, hey, I would
like more information about possibly getting their child enrolled at Discovery.
Maybe they want to stop by for a tour. I'm
sure all that's possible.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Absolutely, yeah, no, I would as you can probably tell.
I hope the people at home kind as well that
I'm very passionate about Discovery School, and so I welcome
any opportunity to talk to people who may be interested
in finding out more information. And so I recommend visiting
our website ww dot Discovery dash school dot net. And
then in the top right corner, I believe there is
(17:06):
a tab that says request information, and so once you
click on that, you'll be able to submit information for
the children that they might like to enroll, and then
we can set up a tour and I can show
them all the exciting things that Discovery gets into and
all the things that makes us different.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Come in for tour kind of walk through, you know
what I mean, They'll be impressed. You know what I
mean that kind of thing is you really need to
come in for that tour.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Right, definitely, absolutely, just to see the school in practice.
We recommend that the other students are then so they
can see the interactions. You know, one of the things
that appeals to some families is this big class sizes
that they may have in public schools, and that doesn't
work for all students. And so our small class sizes
(17:51):
that we have and the relations ships that we're able
to build with students is definitely a big draw. And
so you can really only see that when the students
are then when they're school is in session.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
So now could we throw out the website again?
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Yes? Absolutely, it is ww dot Discovery, dash school dot net.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
All right, so reach out, you can get all the information,
get the ball rolling, as I say, get an appointment
and tour all of that schedule. Do we miss anything
this morning about Discovery that if somebody doesn't know about
you guys? Have we covered everything?
Speaker 2 (18:22):
I think so gosh. I mean, there's literally so much
I will probably get into my car letter and like
I didn't say this or I didn't mention that. I mean,
it's just it's a special place, and you know, through
the support of the community and like yourself, you know,
it's really helped Discovery to stand the test of time
(18:42):
as we approach our fifty years and thinking about how
we can also continue to support the community from our role.
And so yeah, there might be lots of things that
I haven't talked about, but I also want to make
sure that I don't put anybody to sleep just before
heading to work. So I think I'll porfully leave it there.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Well, it's good and they're going to have a big
celebration next year, the big fiftieth celebration. We'll have more
on that, I'm sure about the big celebration coming up
soon with us in studio. This week's CEO you should
know Simon Clark, head of school at Discovery School in Mansfield.
What was great to learn about you and everything you
guys offer for the community. Thank you for being with
(19:24):
us and we wish you continued success.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Absolutely, Thank you, Eric. It was my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Thank you Simon Clark, head of School at Discovery School.
The CEO you should know rit A Bio c a
photo and here the extended interview at wman fm dot com.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Leading means having a vision and sharing it with others.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
I'm John Roby of RFI Insurance. We're excited to bring
you this program featuring CEOs from our area who will
share the thoughts and what it means to work and
live in north central Ohio.
The CEO you should Know, Brought to you by Roby
Foster Miller Eric Insurance. This week's CEO, Simon Clark, head
of School at Discovery School in Mansfield.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Good morning, Good morning, Erin. Thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:16):
Absolutely, I know I have heard that name in this
community for a long long time. So let's kind of
begin at this top. Love this program because we learn
about local organizations. So you have him in a here
tell us about Discovery School.
Speaker 2 (00:30):
Wow, gosh, where to begin. Discovery School has been around
since nineteen seventy five, so it's exciting because next year,
in twenty twenty five, we'll be celebrating our fiftieth year
of approaching education differently and hopefully celebrating the thousands of
students that have been through Discovery School since its inception.
Alumni event coming up in September next year. Really excited
(00:55):
about that. Currently, our enrollment is around about one hundred
and forty five students from preschool up to sixth grade.
We have a number of classes that are full, but
we do have some availability in our grades and so
if people are interested, I would definitely recommend reaching out
to us through our website and it's just a great
(01:16):
place for students to play to learn. Obviously, we've got
our academics down. Our math scores and ELA scores at
sixth grade are regularly above the stay average by many points,
which is exciting, and I think that's proof that everything
that we do underneath there is working through our field trips,
through play activities, through real worlds engagement and developing critical
(01:42):
thinking skills. It's always a busy place to be, that's right,
so exciting being ahead of school, though.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
I can tell by the smile on your face, is
you hear this morning from Simon Clark. He is this
week's CEO. You should know he is the head of
school at Discovery School. So before we go any further,
let's tell people where are you located at.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
So we are located at fifty five Millsborough Road, so
just off of Trimble and Millsbrough, Well kind of step
back a little bit from the woods. You'd have to
look for us. But that's something that we wear as
kind of a badge of honor because we're the little
school in the woods and I've given many to us
to families throughout the area and they had no idea
(02:20):
everything that was included with Discovery School because we're kind
of hidden back there. So I definitely would recommend anybody
who might be interested to yeah, come by and pass
a visit.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
Now, you're located in Mansfield, as you mentioned. Now, how
far do students come from? Is it just Richland County
or do they come from further That great question.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yes, so we have out of our whole enrollment, we
predominantly students are from Richland County Mansfield area, but we
also enroll from Ashland County, from Crawford County, Morra County
as well. Families that come and visit Discovery School and
they eager to find something different for their child that
foster's outdoor education and a range of skills and development
(03:03):
that goes beyond what they might find in their public school.
So yeah, so we're fortunate to have a range of
perspectives and locations from around Ohio.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Now, how long have you been in your current role?
Speaker 2 (03:15):
So I have been the head of school for the
past this is in my second year.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
Okay, Now how long overall have you been with Discovery School.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
I joined Discovery School in twenty eighteen as the assistant
head of school and then the PYP coordinator. The curriculum coordinator.
So it was a recent promotion to step up when
our previous head of school, Julie Schwartz, moved on. So
it's been exciting time I've developed relationships with families and students,
and so stepping up to be the head of school
(03:45):
wasn't as challenging as I thought it would be because
I had already made those connections with people.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
I can tell you that you're excited just by the
smile on your face and to hear you talk about
the school.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
I'm very passionate about Discovery School and the education opportunities
that we offer to our families and our students. And yeah,
and our teachers are some of the most wonderful I've
taught in schools around the world. And yeah, our teachers
go above and beyond for the needs of our students,
which I really couldn't ask for anything more.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
And that is super to hear. Is the voice you
hear this morning is Simon Clark. He is the head
of school and Discovery School in Mansfield. He is this
week's CEO. You should know, all right, so you talked
about everything you teach. Could you share with us just
a little bit about the curriculum.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
Yeah, absolutely so, obviously, as well as the hammering down
the basics through ELA, English Language, Arts and math, and
the social studies and sciences, and making sure that our
students are able to succeed when they graduate from Discovery
School in sixth grade. We're also an International Baccalaureate school,
and so the International Bacalaureate IB has four programs it
(04:54):
offers to schools around the world. Discovery School is authorized
to offer the Primary Years Program, which is the mentory
age program for students from three to eleven, and it
is a rigorous, engaging, relevant curriculum focus that's aligned with
the Ohio State standards and it allows students to ask questions,
(05:14):
encourages them to be agentic learners, to consider how they
might arrive at information and how they might get there,
and thinking about process perhaps over product, which brings students
in on the conversation of learning. It's no longer something
that the teacher kind of disseminates to the students. They're
involved in the learning process. And so yeah, through that
(05:37):
inquiry piece and then also through action, we encourage our
students that once they have understood something or learned something,
what can they do with that next. And so through
my time at Discovery School, we have had drives for
the Humane Society, for the Soup kitchen in downtown Mansfield,
litical cleanups, We've had a whole host of event that
(06:00):
have taken place that have been driven by the student's
passion for people in their community and they want to
make a difference.
Speaker 1 (06:08):
So it's great to hear the students getting involved, right yescisely.
Speaker 2 (06:11):
Yes, and that's it. And so if you go into
one of our costumes, you won't see students passively sitting
around perhaps staring out the window. They're actively engaged, they're
asking questions, they're collaborating, and so these are skills that
they can take with them as they graduate out of
Discovery School.
Speaker 1 (06:29):
Really cool to hear the story this morning of Discovery
School in Mansfield and they're head of school. Who is
with us in studio this week's CEO. You should know
that is Simon Clark. All right, before we go any further,
how many teachers roughly do you guys have?
Speaker 2 (06:45):
So this year we're fortunate because we actually have a
grant that we received from the State of Ohio which
allowed us to provide a stem position for our students
in a STEM lab with a range of resources. So
currently we are staff of around about thirty. So we
have two teachers at every grade level apart from kindergarten
and pre k where we have two. And then also
(07:08):
we have teaching assistants who kind of fulfill a double role.
In the morning they are working with the classroom teachers
in kindergarten or in pre K in first grade as
well actually, and then the afternoon they go and teach
their respective special so that might be STEM, that might
be woods, class could be health or art. And so
with all those and the support that they're able to offer,
(07:31):
it means that we have a very low student to
teach a ratio. So if you think in public schools
it might be something around one to twenty five, in
our lower grades it's actually one to ten or less
than that. So the students are able to get the
support they need, which helps us to make sure that
students are scoring well above the stay average by the
(07:52):
time they graduate in sixth grade.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
All right, now, when did school start for you guys
with August?
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Yes, okay, third week of August.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
How's gone so far?
Speaker 2 (08:01):
It's been great. We have had some great learning taking places.
Two weeks ago, we had all of our elementary grades
apart from kindergarten, taking field trips, so they were out
and about. They went to or s U Mansfield to
watch one of the performances there. Another grade went to
the National Veterans Memorial Museum in Columbus, and then our
(08:22):
fifth and sixth grade students went to Seneca Caverns as
part of their inquiry into geology.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
So out of field trips, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
Taking their learning out on the road. And so they're
engaged with that and they're excited and parents love to
participate in as well. As I said, we're fortunate we
have an amazing parent body who will love to chaperon.
And really that community feel that Discovery has is what
makes it special because we have one hundred and forty
(08:49):
students in the school and so we're like kind of
a big family.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Nice. I know, when I was in school, I love
field trips. It was always cool to go out and
learn those kind of things. Awesome, Well, we are learning
this morning all about Simon Clark, this week's CEO. You
should know who is the head of school at Discovery
School in Mansfield. Before I let him go we got
to find out more about him. So let's step back
to the very beginning. I'm sure people listening are saying,
(09:13):
I wonder where Simon is from. So let's go back
to the very beginning. If you would tell us where
was Simon Clark born.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
That's a good question. So, yes, my accent probably might
give me away a little bit. So I am originally
from the United Kingdom. So I'm from England and the
northeast of England, so very near to Durham Newcastle. My
hometown that is very small. I'd be very surprised if
anybody has heard of is Newton Aycliffe, and so I
(09:44):
lived there before I went to university in York in
the center of the country. And so yeah, that's where
I spent my life up until I left the UK
in about two thousand and six.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
Okay, they're googling right now where they're looking at now,
if you would tell us about coming to the United
States and teaching, if you.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Would, yeah, absolutely, And so I actually when I first
left the United Kingdom in two thousand and six, I
worked for two years in North Carolina, and so that
was an interesting experience. It was my first time teaching
internationally my first time living anywhere else outside of the UK,
So there was a big culture shock associated with that,
but I also got to broaden my perspectives of what
(10:30):
education can look like. Some of the challenges that perhaps
is fist in the US schools would be different to
ones that we have in Mohattan schools in the UK,
and so it was a great opportunity. It brought in
my horizons and it definitely kind of got my taste
for working internationally.
Speaker 1 (10:49):
Now, when you were growing up, did you always want
to be a teacher? Was that always something? And then
on top of that as well, what made you say
I like to teach, you know, internationally?
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Well, well, I mean traveling was always something that interested me.
Every year when my parents were off work, we would
always travel around the area and go to kind of
tourist destinations and things that would be interesting, and so
that was always something that I look forward to. It's
usually the first two weeks of August, and so that
travel that I was able to have with my parents
(11:22):
and my family definitely kind of made me curious about
the wider world, and so I knew that I did
want to be a teacher from a young age. From
my time in elementary school, I was able to kind
of have a range of teachers that impacted my life
in a variety of ways, and I thought it's pretty
cool to be able to do that, and so yeah,
(11:42):
from there, I kind of went on and I did
a range of work experiences in primary schools and then
I figured I'd heard about this agency that would allow
you to work in North Carolina to teach. I was like, okay,
so that kind of brings my passion together for travel
and then also for teaching, and so I applied and
(12:03):
was accepted, and so I taught a second grade class
in high Point, North Carolina. I lived in Greensboro in
the Triad, and the way of life was very, very
different to what I'd been used to. I remember the
principal pulled me to one side and said that Simon,
you're in the South now, so you have to talk slower.
(12:25):
And so that was something that I became accustomed to.
Particularly when I speak to my dad and my family,
I tend to speak much quicker, and so I had
to be mindful of how I would communicate. And then
I also had the opportunity when I was working there
to travel around the US a lot, visiting New York,
San Francisco, and I actually drove through Ohio to go
(12:47):
to a wedding in Indiana. That was my first taste
of the Midwest, I suppose, And so yeah, from there after,
I decided that I wanted to continue to work internationally,
so I went and moved to Switzerland and so I
taught for two years. I taught third grade there at
a small town just north of Zurich on the Gym
(13:08):
border called Schafausen. So that was an experience and a
great outdoor opportunity and again great for traveling in the
center of Europe, Italy, France, Germany, all the way around.
After two years, I was eager for more opportunities, and
so I moved to Mexico City and I worked there
(13:28):
for three years. I taught first grade, and again lots
of opportunity to travel internationally and then also within Mexico.
And what was great was the classroom that I had
was such a culturally diverse group of students. We had
about twelve nationalities in my classroom from around the world,
which was amazing, and so yeah, that kind of again
(13:51):
broadened my mind about what education can be and the
various needs of students and the ways that we communicate.
And then I moved to California. So in twenty thirteen
was when I moved back to the US and I
worked in Berkeley as a curriculum coordinator, the PYP coordinator
for their program at Amandarin Immersion School in Berkeley, California.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
And then you've been in Ohio since one then twenty eighteen,
twenty eighteen.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Yes, so I was in California for five years, and
as well as being the curriculum coordinator, I also continued
to teach. So I taught kindergarten for a day a week,
second grade following year, and then I even actually went
up to seventh and eighth grade teaching, which was my
first time with the older students. It was an eye
(14:40):
opening experience.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Yes, great to learn your story.
Speaker 2 (14:44):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (14:44):
Yeah, really cool. Simon Clark with us for just a
moment longer again, he is this week CEO. You should
know he is the head of school at Discovery School
in Mansfield. So we found out born in the UK,
and he's mentioned he's lived various places around the glow
of mind you but also in the US taught at
many places. Don't know, married kids, anything like that tell
us about Simon and the family.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
So I'm married. My husband's name is Perry, and so
we have dogs and cats, and that is the extent
of our family. And I like to think that the
children who attend Discovery School are probably my extended children,
particularly from the hoogs and everything that I get from
them on a daily basis. So yeah, So the animals
that we have at home, we have two dogs, three cats,
(15:27):
so they definitely keep us very busy.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
I was gonna say, I know that absolutely awesome. Now,
when you are not working, and I'm sure running a school,
there's a lot to oversee. What do you do in
your spare time? Do you have any hobbies? I know
you like to travel, right, well, start.
Speaker 2 (15:43):
There, traveling definitely, he's a big one. Yeah, I know
that spare time. Obviously, being the head of Discovery School
takes up a lot of my time, but it's a
labor of love. But I also like to work out,
and so I've been fortunate enough to meet some great
people in my time in Ohio and so hanging out
with them either running or working out the why and
(16:04):
then reading obviously making sure that reading for pleasure, but
also professionally as well, that I am continuing my journey
of being a lifelong learner. I think that I will
stay in education for as long as I am continuing
to learn about trends, about practices to make sure that
Discovery School continues to be at the cutting edge of education.
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Well, great, before I let you go, We've thrown out
a lot of information this morning about Discovery School. So
somebody hears your voice and they're like, hey, I would
like more information about possibly getting their child enrolled at Discovery.
Maybe they want to stop by for a tour. I'm
sure all that's possible.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Absolutely, yeah, no, I would as you can probably tell.
I hope the people at home kind as well that
I'm very passionate about Discovery School, and so I welcome
any opportunity to talk to people who may be interested
in finding out more information. And so I recommend visiting
our website ww dot Discovery dash school dot net. And
then in the top right corner, I believe there is
(17:06):
a tab that says request information, and so once you
click on that, you'll be able to submit information for
the children that they might like to enroll, and then
we can set up a tour and I can show
them all the exciting things that Discovery gets into and
all the things that makes us different.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
Come in for tour kind of walk through, you know
what I mean, They'll be impressed. You know what I
mean that kind of thing is you really need to
come in for that tour.
Speaker 2 (17:31):
Right, definitely, absolutely, just to see the school in practice.
We recommend that the other students are then so they
can see the interactions. You know, one of the things
that appeals to some families is this big class sizes
that they may have in public schools, and that doesn't
work for all students. And so our small class sizes
(17:51):
that we have and the relations ships that we're able
to build with students is definitely a big draw. And
so you can really only see that when the students
are then when they're school is in session.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
So now could we throw out the website again?
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Yes? Absolutely, it is ww dot Discovery, dash school dot net.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
All right, so reach out, you can get all the information,
get the ball rolling, as I say, get an appointment
and tour all of that schedule. Do we miss anything
this morning about Discovery that if somebody doesn't know about
you guys? Have we covered everything?
Speaker 2 (18:22):
I think so gosh. I mean, there's literally so much
I will probably get into my car letter and like
I didn't say this or I didn't mention that. I mean,
it's just it's a special place, and you know, through
the support of the community and like yourself, you know,
it's really helped Discovery to stand the test of time
(18:42):
as we approach our fifty years and thinking about how
we can also continue to support the community from our role.
And so yeah, there might be lots of things that
I haven't talked about, but I also want to make
sure that I don't put anybody to sleep just before
heading to work. So I think I'll porfully leave it there.
Speaker 1 (19:02):
Well, it's good and they're going to have a big
celebration next year, the big fiftieth celebration. We'll have more
on that, I'm sure about the big celebration coming up
soon with us in studio. This week's CEO you should
know Simon Clark, head of school at Discovery School in Mansfield.
What was great to learn about you and everything you
guys offer for the community. Thank you for being with
(19:24):
us and we wish you continued success.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Absolutely, Thank you, Eric. It was my pleasure.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Thank you Simon Clark, head of School at Discovery School.
The CEO you should know rit A Bio c a
photo and here the extended interview at wman fm dot com.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Leading means having a vision and sharing it with others.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
I'm John Roby of RFI Insurance. We're excited to bring
you this program featuring CEOs from our area who will
share the thoughts and what it means to work and
live in north central Ohio.
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