School Advisory Council
It has certainly been a hectic start to the year, with the Tarantella Evening being a highlight so far. I would like to thank Sera De Pace and the P&F Group for organising such a special event for the community. The P&F Group is an integral part of our school community and I encourage as many parents as possible to get involved and assist. These events simply cannot run without contributions from as many families as possible, so please get involved where you can, ensuring that our community does not miss out on these fantastic events.
We have held our Annual General Meeting for the School Advisory Council and Vanessa Bonanzinga has been re-elected to the School Advisory Council. Congratulations Vanessa, we look forward to working together again in 2024. I would also like to acknowledge and thank our other Nominee, Stefano Marciano. Stefano has many skills that will support the school and our community, and we thank him for expressing his desire to continue to provide support wherever he can.
We have an exciting year ahead on the SAC with our major focus continuing to advocate for the school with our latest Grant Application for our School Masterplan. We are now four years in to applying for this grant and have raised the pressure on all stakeholders, working closely with the Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools, as well as other influential members of parliament. We will continue to lobby for our school, ensuring that we get our fair share of funding to upgrade the school and its facilities. We will keep you posted throughout the year with our progress.
During the year, the School Advisory Council will be profiling each of the Council members in the newsletter, providing the community with a bit more information about our members and the expertise they bring to the table.
It is important that any feedback and/or opportunities for improvement can be appropriately communicated to members of the School Advisory Committee and we have an email address that you can use to contact us, sac@sjwreservoirnth.catholic.edu.au. Alternatively, feel free to approach us directly.
Regards,
Jed Nalder
SJW SAC Chairperson
School Advisory Council Member Profile
Name: Jed Nalder
Role on Council: Chairperson
A little bit about my family and I:
First and foremost, I am Dad to Isabelle in Grade 5, Archie in Grade 3 and Evie in Grade 1, and endeavor to be a supportive husband to my Superhuman wife, Laura. We live a hectic lifestyle with Laura leading the Foundations Team at Reservoir Views Primary School, while I am the Managing Director at FTS Resolve, a Civil Construction and Essential Services Infrastructure Build business focusing on Horizontal Directional Drilling and Telecommunication Fibre builds.
What I bring to the SJW School Advisory Council:As a Chartered Accountant, spending nearly 15 years working across larger Chartered Firms in Melbourne, I have experience working in and around large and small businesses across almost all sectors including schools. I have managed my own business for the last 10 years and sit on the Board of an Insurance Brokerage Business, a Traffic Management Business and a Body Corporate. My experience lends itself to projects outside of the general day to day operations of the school such as the School Masterplan and Grant Application. I really hope that this ramps up this year and we are successful with our latest Grant Application, and we can then proceed through to the design and build phase of the project.
I believe our role on the School Advisory Council is to support the school’s leadership team and while it is important to take opportunities for improvement to the leadership team as well as respectfully discuss where we see issues or challenges, ultimately we do not manage the day to day operations, nor are we responsible for the schools governance. Where we see disconnect, it is important that we advocate for our kids, the school and the leadership team by constructively working with Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools, enabling support for our school, and/or change.
What do I get up to in my spare time? In my spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, particularly watching them participate in all of their extracurricular activities. I also always look forward to our annual family holiday at the beach. I am an assistant coach of the West Preston Lakeside Football Club Under 9’s and am a passionate Essendon supporter. I love living in Reservoir and I particularly enjoy being a member of the community we have here at St Joseph the Worker.
SJW School Advisory Council Member Profile
Name: Jessica Mazzone
A little bit about my family and I: I am blessed with my two beautiful and incredibly active children, my husband Fabian, our cheeky beagle Luna, and our crazy cat Oliver. My son is currently in JLA and says that when he is older he wants to work in the mines or be a builder. My daughter attends kinder and is adamant that when she grows up she wants to be a unicorn mum.
What do I get up to in my spare time? In my spare time, I enjoy playing tennis and going for bike rides with my family. I love to go to the footy with my husband and kids who are huge Richmond supporters. I also love spending some quiet time gardening or experimenting with new recipes…although when my kids are “helping” it’s far from quiet!
What I bring to the SJW School Advisory Council: I am passionate about being involved in the education of my children. As a primary school teacher with over 13 years teaching experience, I am familiar with the Catholic education system. I am eager to use that knowledge, working together with the other members of the School Advisory Council and the wider community, to strive for excellence at St Joseph the Worker.