Principal's Report 

Thank you

Once again, this wonderful learning community that we love has had a very successful year. Yes, there was again upheaval due to the COVID pandemic. However, the flexibility, adaptability, resilience and courage of our students, staff and families has been the reason we can look back on this academic year and be proud of what we have achieved.

We have supported each other extremely well and the real beneficiaries are the students.

I have written many times during the last two years

“We are on this journey together, we will make mistakes together, we will have wonderful victories together, we will celebrate many successes together, we will carry each other through difficult times together and at the end of this journey we will celebrate all that is good with joy and gratitude together.”

As we conclude this 2021 academic year, take the time in the lead up to Christmas to pause, reflect on the 2021 school year, thank God for the many blessings we have enjoyed and celebrate with joy and gratitude the success of our togetherness

It is with mixed feelings that I write this last newsletter for the 2021 school year. It is also my last newsletter as principal of St Joseph’s College and my last ever. 

The Catholic learning community that is St Joseph’s College, Echuca warmly welcomed me as Principal in 2015 and I will miss being part of it. 

At the same time, I am excited by what may unfold in the future. There is the known of relocating to the new house we have built in Inverloch, the establishment of gardens and all the things that make a house a home and reconnecting with friends in that area. There is also anticipation of the unknown and being open to the whispering of the Holy Spirit. Who knows what doors may open?

One of the unchanging things during the time that I have worked at this College has been the very strong relationship that exists between school and home. It is a feature of this learning community that everyone is working so very hard to provide the best learning opportunities possible for the students in our school.

During the last seven years I have had the privilege and honour to work alongside many students, parents, and staff. Whilst there have been ups and downs along the way it has always been apparent that everyone has had the best interests of the students at heart. 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those students, parents and staff who have made the last seven years so enjoyable; particularly those hard-working volunteers who give so generously of their time in areas such as serving on the Stewardship Council and its sub-committees, and the myriad of other tasks that make this community what it is.

I thank too all those in the wider educational and local community who work so hard to support us and our students. Organisations such as the Catholic Education Office Diocese of Sandhurst, the Beacon Foundation, Campaspe Cohuna Local Learning and Employment Network, Youth Partnerships and Hands on Learning to name a few.

I particularly thank our governing bodies the Trustees of Kildare Ministries and the Kildare Education Ministries (KEM) Board. The support and leadership that they give to staff and students is invaluable and very life giving in the ever-changing context in which schools operate these days. I personally thank them for their ongoing support for me in the role of principal especially over the last few years as I have learned to live with my diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. 

I would also like to take this opportunity to publicly thank my family for the support that they have given me in the role of principal. Whilst it was rarely a chore to attend the night time meetings and functions, it did impact on our family time and I thank Shauna, Aidan, Brianna and Tayla from the bottom of my heart for their support. 

I have no doubt that the KEM Board’s appointment of Ms Anne Marie Cairns has placed the College in capable hands. Anne Marie is a person who will lead the College into the next phase of its development with strength and vision. I wish her and the whole College community all the very best for the future.

Please mark next week’s Awards Night on your calendars. It would be great to catch up with and thank as many of you as possible.

May I leave you with Brigid’s blessing and best wishes for a Holy and Happy Christmas season and a strong and healthy future for the College.

Brigid’s Blessing

St. Brigid Mary of Ireland

ask for us all today,

the courage to do God’s bidding

whatever the world may say.

The grace to be strong and valiant

the grace to be firm and true

the grace to be faithful always

to God, God’s Mother and you.

God bless.

Michael Delaney

Principal