Principal's Address

Dear JJCMHS Community,

As many of you know, I was on leave for the first half of Term 3. During this time, I was reminded how fortunate we are to have such a professional and dedicated team at JJCMHS. Our staff are committed to working positively with our students, families, and the broader community, and I want to acknowledge their ability to collaborate in such a supportive and effective way.

I would especially like to thank Mr John Mifsud for his outstanding leadership while I was away. John is a highly experienced school leader, and we are incredibly fortunate to have him on our team.

Thank you also to Mr Adrian Lim-Klumpes, Head Teacher Music/CAPA, who stepped into the Deputy Principal role during this period. His strategic approach has brought greater clarity and strengthened the structure of our Learning and Support Team, allowing them to focus even more on what matters most: meeting our students’ diverse learning needs.

I’d also like to acknowledge Ms Sian Batista De Mello, who has been leading in the Deputy Principal role for nearly two years. Sian has built strong partnerships with our local primary schools, universities, parents, and the wider community. She has also led the development of an enrichment stream for Years 7 and 8 and enhanced how we promote our school through various media platforms.

Recently, the school participated in an external validation process, which all NSW public schools undergo every five years. This process involved evaluating our performance against the School Excellence Framework. I’d like to thank Ms Sian Batista De Mello and Ms Tamara Tickle for leading the preparation of this extensive documentation. Their work included gathering and analysing data and assessing our school’s practices against established standards.

I’m proud to report that JJCMHS was evaluated as Excelling in the areas of Wellbeing and Resourcing, and Sustaining and Growing in Learning Culture, Assessment, Learning and Development, Educational Leadership, Professional Standards, Reporting, and Management Practices. This is a strong result and reflects the hard work and dedication of our entire school community.

Looking ahead, we are now beginning the process of developing our next School Plan, which will involve consultation with staff, students, parents, and community members. I’m excited about the path ahead. We are in a strong position and continuing to grow every day.

As always, I want to thank our staff for their hard work and deep commitment to student learning and wellbeing. I also extend my thanks to our parents and carers for your continued involvement and support.

A special mention goes to our incredible P&C, who consistently contribute so much to our school community. Congratulations to our P&C President and team for successfully securing another grant this year. Well done!

To our students, thank you. Visitors often comment on how welcoming and friendly you are, and I see this daily in our school. I was especially proud of our student leadership team, who recently presented to the P&C. They are advocating for classroom air conditioning and will be working with the P&C to progress this initiative. I wish them every success.

Finally, I want to acknowledge our Year 12 students, who are completing their formal classes at the end of Term 3. As you prepare for your HSC exams, I wish you all the very best. Please stay in touch, we’d love to hear about your journey beyond school.

I hope everyone has a safe and rejuvenating break. Let’s hope the weather is kind! I look forward to welcoming you back in Term 4.

Staff return: Monday, 13 October

Students return: Tuesday, 14 October

Warm regards, 

Mr. Ralph David