2023 CHANGES

I have included the announcements from yesterday with this newsletter.

While I am obviously very excited about my appointment as Principal of St. Francis Catholic College K-12 from 2023 onwards, I will definitely be sad to leave the wonderful Magdalene community.

I am extremely proud of what we have been able to collectively achieve over the past 6 years here at Magdalene. Some of these achievements include, but are not limited to:

• the renaming of and rebranding of the College
• new revitalised Vision, Mission & Core Value Statements
• a new contemporary uniform
• a refurbished Hospitality Centre
• Air Conditioning across the College
• a state-of-the-art Classroom Block of 14 new classrooms
• enhanced Year Group Areas (including a Year 12 Kitchenette)
• refurbished Staff Room and the creation of new offices for key staff members
• new seminar spaces in the Learning Resource Centre
• a new Careers Office
• a brand new Hall
• the creation of two gyms
• enrolments increasing from 970 to 1130 with Waiting Lists now in Years 7-11
• a new College website
• new Basketball/Netball Courts and Cricket Nets
• new staff roles created - a 3 point Pastoral Care Coordinator, a 3 point Leader of Teaching & Learning, Assistant Faculty Coordinators and 2 point Year Coordinators
• a 20th Year reunion Dinner (with plans well underway for a 25th Year Dinner)
• quality learning and teaching - as supported by a Magdalene designed contemporary Learning & Teaching Framework
• a meaningful change to the school day - to maximise learning
• new writing and problem-solving scaffolds (e.g. IDEAL and RAISE)
• refining of who we are and our Mary Magdalene-inspired charism
• ongoing Social Justice and Mercy Initiatives, immersions and a new immersion to Vietnam
• expansion of our Student Leader leadership portfolios

I am, and will remain, grateful to all staff, parents/carers and students who have aided in enhancing our College and building our momentum as a College of choice in the Macarthur Area.

While there are big changes afoot, it is important for me to emphasise that the College will be in very safe hands in 2023!

APPOINTMENT OF MRS IVANA FORNER AS ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

I am delighted to advise to our community that, with the departure of Ms Jennifer Foldes in 2023 to be Deputy Principal at Mater Dei, our current Pastoral Care Coordinator, Mrs Ivana Forner has been appointed as Assistant Principal from 2023.

This appointment follows a thorough recruitment process conducted by Catholic Education Wollongong. Mrs Forner has been a long-term committed Magdalene staff member and possesses a real passion for our College. She truly places students at the centre in her daily interactions with them and understands the nature of our College culture and charism.

Mrs Forner has already had experience in Acting roles as Assistant Principal and has ably led the Schoolwide Positive Behaviours for Learning Introduction in 2022. She will continue with this in 2023.

An official announcement from the CEO will be sent out to the College next week. In the interim, I congratulate Ivana and I have every confidence that she will excel in this role.

2023 ACTING PRINCIPAL - MR DAVID CLORAN 

As the announcement from yesterday mentions, Mr David Cloran will be Acting Principal at Magdalene for 2023. 

Mr Cloran is currently Assistant Principal at Mount Carmel Catholic College and I have heard nothing but good things about him. He has had a broad range of experiences in schools that situates him very well to be placed in this substantive role.

In the coming weeks he will visit Magdalene, meet our staff and, hopefully, have a chance to introduce himself to our students. I congratulate David and look forward to sitting down with him and providing a handover so that he can start 2023 as well as possible.

PRAYER

Given the various information I have provided above,  the following prayer aimed at change and transition is most fitting:

For Times of Transition

God of Love,

You are with us in every transition and change.

As we enter into this new era with excitement and even some anxiety,

we recall your deep compassion, presence, and abounding love.

We thank you for the gifts, talents and skills with which you have blessed us.

We thank you for the experiences that have brought us to this moment.

We thank you for the work of others that gives breadth and depth to our own work.

Be with us as we move forward, rejoicing with you and supporting one another.

We ask this in your Holy Name. AMEN

- Joseph P. Shadle