Principal Report

Farewell to Staff - 2024

We always bid farewell to valued members of the St John's Regional College community with sadness. At the end of this year, we extend our deepest gratitude to the following staff for their dedication and service.

In particular, we express our heartfelt thanks to Mrs. Sonia McNally, who has dedicated over 40 years to our school and Catholic education. Her commitment and extraordinary contributions to our community will leave a lasting legacy. We send her our best wishes for a well-deserved retirement.

We also thank the following staff members who will leave us at the end of 2024. Each has played an important role in enriching the life of our school, and we wish them every success in the next stage of their professional journeys:

Miss Anna Nguyen

Ms Emily Blake

Mr Reymond Bolano

Mr Daniel Papadakis

Mr Fernando Sandoval

Mr Michael Toomey

Mr Bruce Topham

Mr Gia Trinh

Welcome to New Staff - 2025

We are delighted to welcome the following new staff members joining the St John's Regional College community in 2025. We look forward to their contributions and are excited about the fresh perspectives and talents they will bring to our school:

Ms Kayla Alcala – Teacher

Mr Lorenzo Diab – Teacher

Ms Candala Ferreyra – Teacher

Ms Mercy Jepkospei – Teacher

Mr Mina Rizk Habachy – Teacher

Mr George Stoforidis – Teacher

Miss Dona Simon – Teacher

Mr Eddie Taing – Teacher

Miss Anastasia Kydas – Teacher

Condolences

I extend our heartfelt condolences to Mrs Sonia McNally, whose father, Ian, passed away last week. His life was celebrated in a joyful ceremony at the Police Academy Chapel in Glen Waverley, reflecting his distinguished career in the Victorian Police Force.

We pray:

Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Master of the Universe, hear our prayers; we make them in confidence forever and ever.

Amen.

Year 7, 2025 Orientation

The orientation day for our new Year 7 students in 2025 will occur next Tuesday, 10 December. The day provides a beneficial introduction to high school life by allowing our new students to meet their teachers, engage with student leaders, and explore their new facilities. I thank our new Year 7-9 Engagement Leader, Ms Fraraccio, for her planning and preparation for the day, and I look forward to meeting the next generation of St John's students.

Reports

Semester 2 reports will be emailed to parents next week. I extend my appreciation to our teaching staff for providing students with detailed feedback across various assessment tasks. Summer break is an excellent time to recharge your batteries and spend with family and friends. It is also time to spend in preparation for 2025 by reflecting on their learning goals from this year and setting new ones for next year. I encourage parents to review the reports with their children, discuss the feedback provided, and collaboratively identify goals for the upcoming school year.

2024 SJRC Awards Evening

Our community gathered on Wednesday last week for the Annual St John's Regional College Awards Night. It was a wonderful celebration of student achievement across all facets of College Life. Parents and students enjoyed viewing the Art & Technology display, which showcased the talents of students in the fields of Visual Art, Technology, and Media.

I congratulate our high achievers for their consistent hard work and determination, which have been the foundation of their achievements this year. It was also fantastic to see our students express their creative talents through our school choir and dance troupe and Alexis Jackson's impressive solo performance.

I congratulate all of our award winners, 2025 scholarship recipients, and, in particular, the 2025 Fr Gulen Scholarship winners. This scholarship is offered by the Hayek family, who Fr Gulen greatly assisted in coming to St John's some 30 years ago. Holly Egan from Resurrection Primary School and Lachlan Hanson from St Gerard's Primary School were presented with this scholarship for 2025. This year's Br Amedy Prize for Art went to Cleyara Warnakulasooriya in Year 12, and the Principal's Encouragement Award to Selina Guilleman in Year 8.

A night like this requires a dedicated team to work efficiently and effectively behind the scenes, so I extend my thanks and appreciation to Ms Bielinski, Mr Van Es, Mr Rhynehart, Ms Phillips, and the talented Art & Technology team consisting of Ms Aldis, Mr Belano, Ms Hughes, Ms Cardinaletti, Mr Bailey, Mr Naidoo, Mr Williams, Miss Stevenson, and Mr Boswell.

Kwong Lee Dow – Melbourne University: Young Scholars Program

I congratulate Alexis Jackson from Year 10 on her selection into the Class of 2026 Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars. The Kwong Lee Dow Young Scholars Program allows participants to mix with like-minded peers and future leaders. Over the next two years, Alexis will attend a tailored program of events and activities at Melbourne University, enhancing her secondary studies, informing her career plans, and providing opportunities to interact with the University community. She was selected from 1,700 secondary applications from across Victoria. I congratulate Alexis on this wonderful acknowledgment of her academic achievements.

Class of 2024

Congratulations to the Class of 2024, who enjoyed a wonderful graduation celebration at St Patrick's Cathedral and dinner at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. I thank our celebrant, Fr Brendan Lane, for conducting a beautiful Mass that focused on thanksgiving and prayers for our graduates as they move into the next exciting stage of their lives.

I also acknowledge the work of Mr Rhynehart, Ms Angelique Phillip-Kemp, Deputy Principals Mr Van Es and Ms Bielinski, and all of our House Leaders for their preparation and work in creating a wonderful family celebration for our graduates and their families.

Shared Stories Anthology 2024 – "Courage"

Over 25 Catholic schools in Melbourne participated in the production of the Shared Stories Anthology, which this year saw our students contribute artworks, short stories, and poetry under the theme of "Courage…" I wish to thank Ms Anne Aldis, Mr Nathan Goicoa, Miss Grace Stevenson, and all the English and Art teachers who incorporated the theme into their curriculum and guided our students through creating their work.

Artworks:

Acrylic Painting, Zarar Haider, Year 12

Watercolour Drawing, Phoebe Castillo, Year 10

Self Portrait, Gabriela (Gabby) Castro, Year 12

Acrylic Painting, Marley Kingi, Year 10

The Waves of The Army, Kiara Di Paolo, Year 12

Tiger Drawing, Beyonca Nisanthan, Year 9

Still Life, Cooper McGowan, Year 9

Lady Of Lebanon, Laura El Bazi, Year 11

Queen Card, Cristhel Gulay, Year 11

Notan, Amylee Taing, Year 7

Notan, Georgios Avrilionis, Year 7

One Point Perspective, Nyawichar Machar, Year 9

One Point Perspective, Laura El Bazi, Year 11

Writing Pieces:

Ayuri Mora (Year 10, Short Story)

Amani Dok (Year 9, Short Story)

Dehara Madagama Gamage (Year 11, Poetry)

Kiannah Haggett (Year 9, Short Story)

Kiara Lay (Year 11, Poetry)

Kavinaya Thurairasasingam (Year 7, Poetry)

Office Hours

The College Office will close at noon on 20 December for the Christmas Holidays and will reopen at 8 a.m. on 20 January 2024.

Merry Christmas

As we embrace the joyful celebration of Christmas and the holiday season, I pray that the peace and joy of Jesus Christ fill the hearts of all in our community. May this time be one of reflection, gratitude, and wonderful family celebrations. I look forward to welcoming everyone back safely for the 2025 school year. God bless you all.