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A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
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I am very excited to take on the role of Principal at St Francis of Assisi in Humpty Doo. I wanted to give you all a brief introduction so you know a little bit more about me. I was born and raised in western Victoria in a large Catholic family. My mother and many other relatives were teachers and I think that I was always destined to end up in education.
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I tried a few different career paths before discovering a love of teaching while working in China teaching English. While in China I also discovered a love of travel and completed my teaching qualifications in Darwin at Charles Darwin University. I then had the opportunity to begin my teaching career in Milingimbi in Arnhem Land, where I taught for four years before heading back to Victoria.
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It was in Victoria that I reconnected with Catholic Education. Firstly at St Mary’s in Ararat where over six years I held the positions of classroom teacher, learning community leader, learning diversity leader and then deputy principal. While at St Mary’s I also undertook further studies in Religious Education.
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In 2020, I took on the Principalship of St Patrick’s in Stawell. While at St Patrick’s I oversaw the implementation of high quality evidence based teaching and well-being approaches. The school has seen great improvement in results particularly in literacy and I am very proud of the work I did at St Patrick’s.
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However, after living through the Covid-19 pandemic, lockdowns and the seemingly endless winters in Victoria my wife Nicki and I decided to move back to the Top End for the lifestyle opportunities it offers us and our three young children (Otis - 8, Mabel - 6 and Sunday - 3).
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I am very excited about the opportunity to lead St Francis of Assisi. I believe that the school will be a good fit with my background in smaller rural-based schools. From an educational perspective, I am an instructional leader and will always be a teacher at heart. I am driven by improving classroom practice in order to improve the learning and well-being outcomes of the students. I have a particular interest in supporting the most disadvantaged and those with the biggest challenges.
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I am a strong proponent of evidence based approaches and believe that education is a team effort and all staff, families and students have a vital role to play. I believe that working in a Catholic primary school is a privilege as I’m able to draw upon the example of Jesus to help inspire our students.
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I come to St Francis of Assisi with an open mind but a strong desire to make the school the best it can be. I value the stories and opinions of every member of the school community. I am going to meet with as many students, staff and families as possible over the coming days and weeks to find out more about the school. I will be using three questions to guide these conversations:
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- What is good about the school?
- What is great about the school?
- What can we do to make it even better?
I’m looking forward to getting to know you all better and learning with you.
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Outside of work, my family is the centre of my world. I also love music, sports, animals (especially my two dogs) and traveling. I am looking forward to re-exploring the Top End.
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School: (08) 8988 1212
Early Learning Centre: (08) 8988 2821
After School Care: 0429501507
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