An insight into our Ministries - Brigidine College, St. Ives

Brigidine College St. Ives nominated Kate Ryder as their staff member who represents and embodies the values and vision of Kildare Ministries.

Kate is currently Acting Deputy Principal Faith and Wellbeing and has been at Brigidine for most of the seventeen years she has been teaching. She is from a family who has had strong connections to the College from her mother, Barbara, who was one of the original 9 enrolments in 1954. Barbara began in Year 8 and graduated in 1957, having held the position of College Captain for the final 3 years.

Kate began at Brigidine in 1993 and was College Vice-Captain in her final year in 1998. She then studied education at the Australian Catholic University, following a strong family tradition of teaching. Beginning her career at Marist College Eastwood, her first permanent appointment was at Brigidine as a PDHPE and RE teacher. She values the many opportunities she has had including her roles as Year Coordinator and Acting Deputy. Brigidine has instilled in Kate a strong sense of community, the values of courage and hospitality and she finds no greater inspiration than the College motto of Strength and Gentleness. It is the mantra by which she teaches and lives her life.

Kate has also had the opportunity to travel on the Pilgrimage to Ireland in 2007 and two pilgrimages to Kolkata, India, where she led students in working with Mother Teresa’s sisters in a hospice, leper colony and orphanage.

Kate models for our students what it is to be an authentic Catholic woman who has both the courage and grace to make a difference.

Jane Curran

Principal

We also asked Jane's colleagues  to answer a few questions about their leader. Here is what they had to say:

What words would you use to describe Jane?

Jane has been described as empathetic, courageous, visionary, pragmatic and a true educator.

Why is Jane so inspiring?

The one thing that all staff, students and parents agree on is Jane’s capacity to inspire. She uses stories, many from her own experiences, to connect with the community and these reflect a strong sense of social justice. One story which she shared which gives some insight into why she is who she is, was a story about her father. She would often get a lift home from him as his surgery was quite near the ferry and, one day, she saw a man staggering out of a local pub. Jane, who was about 12 at the time, made the comment about how drunk the man was. Her father very gently stated, “From where you sit, all you know is that he is having difficulty walking. You can say no more, no less”.

What does Jane do that demonstrates to the community that she is a ‘Brigidine’?

Jane is authentic. What she says, what she asks of others, is modelled by herself in all she does. The staff, students and parents believe she is ‘strength and gentleness’. Her decision-making is fair, she treats all with respect and often reminds staff that what underpins all is love. She often refers to John 13: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. And then the English teacher in her adds Atticus Finch into the equation, reminding all that you never “know a man until you walk a mile in his shoes”. Her mantra when dealing with a difficult parent is to remind herself that it could be her sitting on the other side of the table so how would she want the Principal to treat her daughter. In 10 years, she has managed to ‘rehabilitate’ many and expel none.

How does Jane give expression to this year’s KM value of Hospitality?

Jane’s door is always open and staff wander in constantly. She believes that many small issues remain small or disappear if dealt with quickly and don’t fester. Staff always feel comfortable in wandering in for a chat. In the same way, parents are responded to promptly and reasonably, and are always welcome in the College. Brigidine, with Jane’s blessing, always opens its doors to others when circumstances require. A New Zealand Diocesan Girls School from Auckland are visiting soon as their planned trip to Hong Kong had to be cancelled due to high risk factors. The College welcomes girls of all faiths and cultures and is very proud of its record of educating students who have high needs. The integration of all is a manifestation of hospitality.

What’s a funny thing that Jane has done?

One of the funniest things which happened at the College occurred only a few weeks after her start in 2010. During the night, someone had cut the main water pipe to the College and it was only truly understood after all the 850 students had arrived to start school for the day. Jane convened a Critical Incident Meeting, decided they could not send girls home and that it was safer to keep the girls at school and somehow manage hydration and toilet facilities. She called the staff together, banned coffee and tea, set up water containers in the quadrangle, and then was notified that the toilets were a problem as students had used them but they had no water to flush. By this time, most teachers were in class so Jane and two others set about filling buckets from the water tanks (which didn’t function without mains pressure!) and then filling cisterns so toilets could be flushed. The staff were duly impressed with the ‘hands-on’ approach of the new Principal.

What does Jane do to relax?

Jane loves swimming, going to the theatre, watching sport, reading and writing. And when life is particularly stressful, she ‘veges out’ on Clint Eastwood and Bruce Willis movies!