PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Born in 1842 in Melbourne, Mary dedicated her life to education and caring for the poor and underprivileged. At 18, she moved to Penola, South Australia to work as a teacher for relatives. It was there that she met Fr Julian Tenison Woods, and together, they started a school for poor children. In 1866, the pair became co-founders of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart - the first religious order to be established by an Australian.
Over the next several years the Order grew and the Sisters travelled the countryside setting up schools, orphanages for abandoned or neglected children and other good works for those in need.
Today, Mary’s legacy continues to inspire people around the world to follow her example of compassion, dedication, and service to others, making a lasting impact on education and social welfare in Australia and beyond.
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL ANNOUNCEMENT
We were excited to announce in week 4 that after an extensive recruitment process, Mrs Stephanie Phillips has been appointed Assistant Principal at John Therry Catholic College. Mrs Phillips has been in the Acting Assistant Principal position in 2023 and has made a significant impression on staff, students and parents, and we are thrilled to have her continue in this role in a permanent capacity.
A copy of the announcement made by the Catholic Education office is included below.
After a recruitment process, Stephanie Phillips has been appointed to the substantive position of Assistant Principal at John Therry Catholic College, Rosemeadow. Stephanie has held the Acting Assistant Principal position at John Therry since the commencement of the 2023 school year.
Stephanie has taught and led in our diocese since 2006. Stephanie has held the roles of Education Officer, Curriculum and Pedagogy: English within the School Improvement Services - Secondary and Leader of Teaching and Learning at Magdalene Catholic College, Narellan.
Stephanie has completed a Master of Theology from The University of Newcastle, a Bachelor of Arts (English/History) from the University of Sydney and a Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary) from ACU.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY
On Monday staff were involved in our staff spirituality day, a most important day in our calendar to support staff formation in the Catholic Faith. This year's day was led by the Marists on our 2023 theme 'created and called'. This essentially highlights for each of us that we are each created by God, and so have an inherent dignity and incredible importance. It also asks of each of us what we are called by God to do with our lives, in service of others and to live out our lives to the full. The message is a powerful one for our students, who can often doubt themselves and what they are capable of.
Wellbeing Puppy
The photos above include mum and the litter of pups that our wellbeing dog will come from. We will send out a survey next week for any students with allergies or phobias so that we can support those students. There will be no need to engage with the dog if they do not want to. Volunteer staff are currently completing training modules to learn about the program and how the dog operates within the school community. It is a very strucutured program and the dog will have a timetable of how it spends its day. This is all on lead and controlled so the dog does not wander freely around the school.
The video below explains a little more about the program.