Principal's Post

Appointment of Vice Principal

It is with much pleasure that I announce that Mr Tim Ford has been appointed to the position of Vice Principal at Mazenod College commencing January 29, 2024.

Currently the Deputy Principal (Students) at Mazenod, Tim cares for and supports over 1400 students. He has a proven record in several leadership positions ranging from Deputy Principal Students, Dean of Senior School, Head of Campus, Year Level Co-ordination, Faculty Head, and Director of Sport. In all these roles, Tim has been a collaborative team player. Tim has operated as a member of an executive leadership team at three schools, contributing to decisions with a whole school perspective and helped to build the capability of staff.

Tim’s twenty-eight years in Catholic Education have enabled him to gain the relevant experiences required to undertake the important and challenging position of Vice Principal. These experiences have covered the Teaching and Learning, Wellbeing and Faith domains. Tim has actively sought varying roles and learnings in his professional and personal life. A man of humility, Tim’s genuineness and commitment to providing the very best for the students, has been appreciated across the College community. 

In recent times as part of Tim’s commitment to ongoing professional development, he was accepted and completed the Executive Leadership Colloquium facilitated by the National Excellence in School Leadership as part of the Pathway to Principalship in conjunction with Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools. Tim has engaged in a variety of professional development opportunities enabling him to be accredited to teach and lead in a Catholic school. He is authentic in his commitment to Catholic Education.

On behalf of all members of the Mazenod College community, I warmly congratulate Tim on this significant appointment.

Semester 1

Semester 1 concludes today, and Semester 2 commences on Tuesday June 13. The last couple of weeks have been a busy time for staff and students and included exams and assessments. Exams are a normal way of school life. It is possibly a new experience for younger students to perform under timed conditions. Exams are one form of assessment and a way to achieve a sense of satisfaction for the hard work of study routines to be appropriately rewarded. Some students have had to deal with anxiety which is quite normal for all of us. Our students’ capacity to perform in so many disciplines is remarkable.

During these times it is important to remember the four pillars of wellbeing:

1. Diet
2. Sleep
3. Exercise
4. Meditation

Good performance comes from preparation, practice, planning and taking care of yourself. Congratulations to all for achieving personal excellence during this time. 

Governance, Risk & Compliance

Last we engaged Moore Australia to support the College regarding Governance, Risk  and Compliance. They provide risk assurance services from their specialist school governance and risk advisory team. Moore Australia has a zero tolerance approach to child safety and applies this to all advisory work. Their team has worked extensively in school policy, risk and compliance. In 2023, Mazenod College will be audited by the VRQA. Engaging with Moore Australia this year will ensure we are prepared for this area of compliance which occurs in the middle of Term 3. 

All the best, 

Dr Paul Shannon

Principal