From the Deputy Principal/Head of Senior School

For the most part, it has been a very settled and productive start to the new year at the College. It is very pleasing to see the eagerness and positivity among the students and the enthusiasm and the commitment of the staff in making such a great start to the year. Already a number of very significant events have been held, including the High Achiever’s Assembly and the Year 7-10 Awards ceremonies, and this week we celebrate the Opening College Mass. 

New students and staff

Along with welcoming back all of the continuing students and staff, we also welcomed twenty-four new students in Years 8-11 into the Senior School, along with all of our new Year 7 students. A number of new staff have also commenced this year and I will provide some brief information about each of these staff members over the course of this term. I will begin by introducing five new members of the teaching staff in the Senior School. 

Mrs Lauren Armbruster joins the staff as a part-time teacher of English and Religious Education, engaged in a job share with Mrs Kristy Falas. Immediately prior to commencing at St Gregory’s, Lauren was working as a Policy Officer in Teacher Accreditation with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA). Previously, she held the positions of Leader of Curriculum and Learning at Marist Sisters’ College Woolwich and also Leader of Diverse Learning / Teaching and Learning Coordinator at Clancy Catholic College. Prior to this, Lauren was the English and Literacy Coordinator and English Teacher at Delany Catholic College. 

Mr Craig Ashby is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Liaison Officer for the College. Craig is a proud Gamilaraay (Gamilaroi) and Yuwaalaraay (Uallaroi) man of Murri descent and he teaches History, Aboriginal Studies, Catholic Studies and Indigenous Languages. Apart from his teaching experiences in two rural NSW towns, Craig has had extensive experience working with and mentoring indigenous students across New South Wales as well as developing and strengthening their family, community and cultural links. He is passionate about and has a great record of encouraging a climate of excellence in student academic care for all, especially Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Mr Glenn Duggan has been appointed to teach across the HSIE department, including Economics, Business Studies, Geography, History and Catholic Studies. Most recently, Glenn was the Deputy Principal at Leeton High School and he has also held positions at Goulburn MET School, Picton High School and Macarthur Anglican College. Apart from his teaching, Glenn has led a range of initiatives in different schools to support High Potential and Gifted students, indigenous education and numeracy. Prior to teaching, Glenn held various roles in the corporate and not-for-profit sectors, including positions with the Commonwealth Bank and Strata Professionals Management and he was also a former Director of Camden Meals on Wheels.

Mr Stephen Hartnett is a former staff member of St Gregory’s College, having been an integral part of the TAS Department from 2012-2018 and also a former Year Coordinator. Stephen returns in 2021 and he will be teaching a range of courses, including Stage 6 Industrial Technology, Design and Technology and Construction, along with Stage 5 Timber and Stage 4 Mandatory Technology. Stephen is a highly accomplished and a very passionate and experienced teacher who has previously worked at St John Bosco Engadine for thirteen years from 1999-2011, where he also held Pastoral Coordinator positions and also for seven years at De La Salle College Caringbah.

Mrs Bernadette Henry is also a former teacher who held the positions of Learning Support Teacher and HSIE classroom teacher at St Gregory’s College, Campbelltown from 2006 to 2012. Bernadette was most recently employed as a Learning Support Teacher at The Illawarra Grammar School (TIGS), a position she has held since leaving St Gregory’s. During her time at TIGS, she also held the position of Acting Learning Support Coordinator. Bernadette has had a wide and comprehensive range of teaching experiences in primary and secondary schools in both New Zealand and Australia across the Government, Catholic and Independent sectors. 

We welcome each of these new members of the teaching staff. In the next edition of the Newsletter, I will provide details of some other new members of staff. 

Pick up and drop off

In the vast majority of cases, the pickup and drop off point for students in the Senior School who are travelling in private vehicles is always the Western Gate entrance, accessed off Donovan Boulevarde. Although there is a steady flow of traffic in the morning and afternoons, the most congested times in the afternoon are between 3.05pm and 3.20pm, so if parents are able to delay their pickup until after this peak period, it will be much easier to enter and exit through the Western Gate. Parents are advised that the only time for drop off and pick up using the main entrance to the College off Badgally Road / Gregory Hills Drive is prior to 7.45am and after 3.45pm. The only exception to this is for the very limited number of students who have a temporary injury, in which case a sticker is provided to families to display on their dashboard. 

Bus and train transport 

As the new year gets underway, there have been some issues with overcrowding on some buses and also some problems with students missing connecting bus services. The College is trying to streamline the loading of buses and we are also working with bus companies to see if additional services can be provided. Whilst referring to these transport options, it is timely to remind all students and their families about our expectations for excellent behaviour and the highest levels of respect for other students, including other passengers whilst on buses and trains. Students are also reminded about the need to use their Opal Card when boarding and alighting buses. This allows an accurate record to be obtained of student numbers which are used by Transport for NSW and the bus companies to determine the demand for bus services. 

New Cafés

Parents and carers may have heard from their sons and daughters about the new Café operating at both the Junior School and Senior School. These cafés have replaced the previous canteens and they are operated by the new catering contract firm, Chartwells. Whilst students have appreciated the wider selection of food available and parents would have very favourable views about the healthier food options, one thing that hasn’t changed is the availability of Flexi Schools for pre-ordering lunches. If students are looking to purchase food at the College, we strongly encourage the use of this system which provides certainty about the food that can be purchased and also results in the more efficient serving of orders.  A link to set up an account for those families not familiar with Flexi Schools is provided below. 

https://www.flexischools.com.au

Mr Paul Brooks

College Deputy Principal/Head of Senior School