From Leadership

Letter from Simon

Dear Families,

As the school year comes to a close, I want to take a moment to express my deepest appreciation to each and every one of you for the privilege of serving as Principal for the past nine years. 

During my time at Galilee I have had the opportunity to witness countless moments of joy, growth, and triumph. I have seen students blossom into confident, compassionate, and curious individuals, and I have had the pleasure of working alongside an incredible team of educators, staff, and parents who are dedicated to providing the best possible education for our students.

As Principal, I have had the privilege of being a part of so many special moments: first days of school, graduations, awards ceremonies, sports championships, new facilities being created and countless other milestones that make our school community so vibrant and unique. We have also had the opportunity to develop and implement programs that have improved student outcomes, fostered a sense of community, and promoted a culture of inclusivity and respect.

But most importantly, I have been blessed to work with students who have inspired my leadership. Their laughter, their tears, their triumphs, and their struggles have all been a reminder of why we do what we do – to make a difference in the lives of young people and give them a springboard towards their future.

To our students, I want to thank you for being such a constant source of inspiration. Your energy, creativity, and resilience are qualities that I will carry with me long after my time here has come to an end. Remember that you are capable of achieving great things, and never stop chasing your dreams.

To my colleagues, I want to thank you for your friendship, collaboration, and camaraderie. You are an incredible team, and I will miss working alongside each and every one of you. Keep doing what you do best – educating and inspiring our students! 

As I prepare to leave Galilee, I want to thank every staff member over the past 9 years, for your unwavering support and commitment to our school community. Your hard work, dedication, and passion have made my job an absolute joy, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to have worked alongside such an amazing team.

I am thrilled that Amy Burns will be Acting Principal until the role is advertised in 2025. Amy has worked at Galilee for over 5 years and has been instrumental in helping guide our progress. I have absolute confidence in Amy and other staff, to lead Galilee with a strong focus on students. 

Thank you to the amazing Wendy and all the admin team who work hard to care for the students and provide expert advice and support to school leadership. Thank you to Carlo Pizzini who leads the high functioning School Advisory Council. My thanks to Jodie, Nat and Rachel who lead our amazing and highly successful GPA.

And finally, to our parents and guardians, I want to thank you for entrusting us with the education and care of your children. Your support has been invaluable, and I am grateful for the partnership we have formed over the years.

I have been blessed with wonderful support from all our Parish Priests, notably, Father Hugh, Father Paul and Father Vincy.

As I move on to new adventures, I will always look back on my time at Galilee with fondness and gratitude. It has been an honor to serve as your Principal, and I will carry the memories and lessons learned with me for the rest of my life.

Simon Millar

Principal

Farewell Mr. Simon Millar

It is with a heavy heart that we prepare to farewell our Principal of nine years, Mr Simon Millar. 

As you will be aware, Simon has accepted a Principal position at St. Vincent's in Clear Waters, Gold Coast. 

Simon’s leadership at Galilee has been inspirational, transforming Galilee into the exceptional school that it is today. Simon has worked tirelessly to ensure that Galilee is the best school for our students. Under Simon’s leadership, students have always been at the heart of every decision he has made. 

When Simon first walked into Galilee it looked very different to what it does now. Back then we had a small Prep building where our new building with state of the art facilities now exists. 

Simon established a building committee that worked towards achieving a Building Master Plan.  It was Simon’s vision and drive that resulted in our incredible three story building that contains a state of the art basketball stadium, performing arts room, STEM room, maker space, rooftop playground, four classrooms, two instrumental rooms and a number of meeting and planning spaces. The new building has enhanced what we can offer our students, giving them access to incredible facilities that complement their learning opportunities. 

When Simon first arrived we had 312 students, today we have a healthy enrolment of 372 with an extensive waitlist for most year levels. Under Simon’s leadership we have established a 'Seeds and Sprouts' Early Years Program that sees 3 and 4 year old students participate in weekly sessions with our junior level teachers, preparing them to successfully transition to school. 

When Simon first arrived our uniform looked very different, today our students standout at inter school events in what is a very smart uniform. Simon worked with a committee of students, parents and staff to design and develop the new uniform. Today our students proudly wear the uniform, signifying that they belong to our community. 

When Simon first arrived our student achievement data was good but now it is outstanding. Enhancing student achievement has always been a priority for Simon where it has continually sought to enhance the teaching and learning ensuring our students have access to the very best education. Simon encourages staff to take on further study, ensuring that the staff at Galilee are operating with the latest research and evidence based approaches. In Simon’s time at Galilee over 9 staff have studied at a Masters level. 

When Simon first arrived we didn't have a GPA (Galilee Parents Association) or a DOGs (Dad’s of Galilee) group. Simon started both of these groups which has strengthened our community links. Simon has always believed that a school is only as good as its relationships with parents. 

Simon has led us through a number of extraordinary events, not least the COVID lockdowns. His leadership has been unwavering and he leaves behind a thriving school community where students are flourishing. We will be forever grateful for the work that Simon has done for us and we thank him for pouring all of his energy into ensuring that Galilee is an excellent school. 

We wish him every success at St. Vincent's, where we know he will do great things.

2025 Graduating Class

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our 2025 Graduating class. Our 2025 Graduates are a very special group of students who we will miss dearly. It has been wonderful to watch them grow and develop over the past seven years, into the outstanding young people that they are now.  

Their journey with us has been filled with exciting times but it is fair to say that they have also faced a number of challenges along the way. Despite the challenges they have continued to flourish. 

We would like to congratulate them on the way that they have approached their schooling here with us, how they have embraced exciting opportunities that have come their way, how they have shown resilience and maturity when faced with challenges and the outstanding leadership that they have shown this year as our School Leaders. 

They have certainly left a positive mark on our school and we strongly believe they will make a positive difference in the Secondary Colleges they are attending. 

We would like to thank them for their contribution and we would like to wish them all the very best as they embark on the next phase of their education. 

Galilee Student Christmas Carols

Last Friday, we gathered as a community for the student Christmas carols. The students  sang and danced confidently in front of a very large audience. It was wonderful to see and feel the Christmas spirit alive in our community. We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the students for their wonderful performances and Mr Daly for preparing them.

Thank you to all parents and extended family members who joined us for this special event.

Galilee Christmas Carols and Movie Night

Also last Friday we had our Christmas community event of a movie night with Carols. Sadly, the weather failed to comply and brought us rain, meaning the movie was postponed until some time next year. However, we had fabulous dancing in the rain, fairy floss and dutch pancakes. Thank you to Joth for bringing the music with a full band. Thank you Jodie, Nat and Seb for organising the event and setting up decorations. And thank you to the community for turning up and making it a fantastic Christmas celebration, irrespective of the weather. 

Christmas Fundraiser

This year we supported Father Bob Maguire’s Christmas Toy Drive and the St. Peter and Paul Kitchen as part of our Christmas Appeal. We were overwhelmed by the generosity that was shown by our families. We collected a car load of new toys to deliver to Fr. Bob Maguires Toy Drive and another car load of non-perishable food to deliver to St. Peter and Paul. Your generous donations will make such a difference to local families in our community. Thank you!

Junior School Athletics Carnival

Congratulations to all students in Prep-Year 2 for participating in the Junior School Athletics Carnival. The Carnival was organised and run by our Year 6 students with the support of Mr. Greene. The Year 6 students did an outstanding job organising an event where over 150 students participated. 

The junior students were involved in a range of events including sprints, hurdles, throwing and jumping. It was wonderful to see our students all trying their hardest and encouraging each other to do their best. 

Thank you to the parents and extended family members who supported students at Murphy Reserve for this event.

2025 Year 6 Camp Structure

In 2025 our Year 6 students will attend a four day, three night camp at Camp Jungai in Rubicon. At this camp students will have the opportunity to sleep in a tent, cook dinner on an open fire and experience activities that have an Indigenous focus. 

Our Year 6 students will also experience a three day Urban Experience Tour where they will navigate the city on public transport and engage in the rich historical, cultural and political sites of Melbourne. The Urban experience will be a series of day excursions in and around Melbourne. 

For more information please see the Year 6 Camp Review Findings and 2025 Camp Structure:

Soiree

Last night we gathered in Maguire Hall to listen to our impressive instrumental students perform in front of a large audience. They showcased the work that they have been doing and the skills they have learned in keyboard, guitar and drum lessons this semester. 

We would like to thank Richard, Trent and Leonard, our instrumental teachers, for preparing the students so beautifully and instilling a confidence in them to perform in front of an audience. 

All Star Boys Basketball Team

We would like to congratulate our All Stars Boys Basketball Team for their extraordinary efforts at the state basketball championships last week. The boys progressed through our local hooptime competition, through regional level to a state level this year. Last Friday they participated in the state basketball tournament and were crowned as 16th best primary school boys team in the state. This is even more impressive when you consider it is a team made up of Year 5 students who all competed against teams made up of mainly Year 6 students. 

Semester Two Student Reports

Please see communication regarding Semester Two student reports that was emailed to all families earlier this week.

Staffing Update

We have a number of staff who will be leaving us at the end of 2024.

Meg Stewart who has taught Prep M for the past 6 months will be leaving us at the end of the year. We can’t thank Meg enough for the contribution she has made to our school in the past 6 months and the love and care she has shown towards her students. Meg is due to have her first baby soon. We wish her all the very best as she prepares to enter the wonderful world of parenthood.

Sinead McGlinchy who has taught Year 5M this year has accepted a teaching position at St. Patrick's Murrumbeena. We can’t thank Sinead enough for the contribution she has made to Galilee in the past year and the enthusiasm and dedication she has shown towards her Year 5 students. We wish Sinead every success at St. Pat's next year.

Jade, Mohammad, Kelsey and Valentina are all leaving us at the end of the year. They all joined us this year as Learning Support Officers. They have supported a range of students and teachers and helped students access learning opportunities. We thank them for their amazing work. We are going to miss them all next year at Galilee. Jade and Mohammad are heading back to Western Australia before Jade embarks on a tour of Australia as part of the Book of Mormons Musical. Kelsey has finished her teaching qualifications and is going to embark on a teaching career and Valentina is heading to Switzerland with her partner. 

Thank You

There are a number of parents within our community who help to make things happen at Galilee; without them we would be lost. As the year draws to a close, it is a wonderful opportunity to thank them for the work they do and for all their extraordinary efforts this year. 

Thank you to all our volunteers who help to make our school run so well. 

Thank you to the School Advisory Council, led by Carlo Pizzini who we have worked closely with on a wide variety of operations. 

A special thanks to Bernie Mandile who has decided to step down from the board at the end of the year. We thank Bernie for all his hard work and dedication to the advisory committee over the past 6 years.

Thank you to the Galilee Parents Association led by Jodie Hoefer and Natalie Calafiore.  We are so grateful to you for your hard work and efforts that help bring our community together and raise vital funds, which this year will go towards Technology for Prep-2 and resources to develop our Wellbeing Hub.

Thank you to our Year Level Representatives who work behind the scenes to make things happen and ensure everyone knows about upcoming events. 

Thank you to our School Inclusion Team. Our discussions and actions this year have helped to lay the foundation for developing greater inclusion and diversity across the school.

Thank you to James Eagle for running the DOGs (Dads Of Galilee) and the wonderful camp this year.

Thank you to Carla Skirrow for running the secondhand uniform shop, week in, week out, to help all the growing students have uniforms that fit.

Thank you Kateryna and the team running TheirCare, for all of the planning, organising and delivery of before and after school care programs. The number of attendees continues to grow, Thank you to our classroom helpers who make our classrooms run smoothly. 

Thank you to anyone who has volunteered to attend an excursion, community event or sporting event. The roles of set-up, manage or clean up are often laborious and challenging. We thank you for your commitment to the community of Galilee.

To our Parish Priests - Thank you to Fr. Paul and Fr. Vincy. Thank you for the many meetings, Masses, reflection days, Sacraments, celebrations and major milestones that you have assisted us with.

We would like to thank our entire community for an incredible 2024 school year. 

We wish you and your family every blessing over the Christmas season and holiday period.

-Simon Millar, Richard Harding and Amy Burns