Principal's Report 

New Principal’s Visit

The release of tender documents this week coincided with a visit to the school on Thursday by new Principal, Ms Anne Marie Cairns, who will take over the role of Principal in January 2022.

Ms Cairns comes to St. Joseph’s College from Caroline Chisholm Catholic College in Braybrook – a large multi-campus, co-educational Catholic college where she is currently Deputy Principal.  

She is poised to offer well-rounded educational leadership that is contemporary, innovative and deeply embedded in Gospel values. 

“I think what the College community can expect from me is a relational approach, as well as high energy, presence and commitment,” Ms Cairns said.

“I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to lead a school with such an exciting future.

When you are expanding on to a new campus you are honouring Brigidine tradition and history and creating new rituals at the same time. It’s an exciting space from an educational and community perspective.”

COVID permitting, we are hoping to organise some more visits for Ms Cairns between now and the end of the year.

Capital Works Update

Our plans to expand to a second campus by 2023 are on track with the formal tender process now underway.

An announcement on the successful bidder is expected to be made by late August – early September, and construction of the new campus will commence soon after.

Under the new two campus model, we are committed to ensuring that St. Joseph’s College would be ‘one Kildare Education Ministries community growing together’, with a shared identity, vision and values across both sites.

This is an exciting time in the history of our 135-year-old College - for our staff, students, families, Kildare Ministries, the Diocese of Sandhurst and the wider community.

Demand for enrolments has been increasing in recent years, and we have waiting lists at each level from Year 7 to 10.

This expansion will provide for the growing number of students, enhance contemporary learning and enable us to be as inclusive as possible of those seeking Catholic education.

Our capital works project will eventually see the existing site at Dickson Street refurbished to become a senior campus (Years 10 to 12), and construction of the new Stratton Rd. campus catering for Year 7 to 9 students.

All going well with the construction phase, the first round of Year 7 students would be welcomed on to the new campus on Stratton Rd to start the 2023 school year.

New Catholic School in Moama

Catholic education is experiencing strong demand and growth in the Echuca Moama region. You have maybe already seen the recent announcement of a new Catholic school to be built in Moama.

We welcome the announcement by the Bishop of Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese Bishop Macbeth-Green that they will be opening Blessed Carlo Catholic College in Moama.

Bishop Macbeth-Green announced that Blessed Carlo Catholic College is planned to eventually be a Kindergarten to Year 12 (K-12) school, taking in its first group of students in 2024.

St. Joseph’s has been working cooperatively with the diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes during the early stages of their project and we look forward to this continuing long into the future.

Return from Remote Learning 5.0, Masks and New Border Restrictions

In amongst all that excitement we also returned to on-site learning. I would like to thank everyone for the smooth way in which this happened.

I would also ask that we learn from the growing body of evidence that masks are playing an increasingly important role in helping us to limit the spread of COVID. 

Could I ask all families to be proactive in this area by making sure that students have a ready supply of masks and reinforcing that they are to always wear them at school. 

Life is much easier for all concerned if we all do the right thing because it is the right thing to do rather than waiting for someone to make us do it.

Thank you to those who are already doing this.

Keeping up with the ever-changing regulations in our cross-border community is certainly challenging. I would like to acknowledge the work of Mr. Grant Kemp, in keeping us all updated. It certainly helps our Leadership Team and our staff in our quest to keep everyone as safe as possible.

Please remember to email wellbeing@sje.vic.edu.au should your student need extra support.

God bless.

Michael Delaney

Principal