Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School Principal Christine Ioannides has experience working at six Brisbane Catholic Education schools.
Previously at Kenmore, Yeronga, Inala, Holland Park, and Darra, and now at Springfield Lakes, Christine has taught students of all ages from 3 to 13, although starting out as an early childhood educator.
She is also a trained speech and drama teacher, and used to run her own studio that prepared students for Trinity College and AMEB exams.
Christine shared with us some of her thoughts and experiences…
A transformative model
I have been interested in Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School ever since it opened.
I knew someone on the steering committee for the development of the school and Parish, and she shared with me the ideas they had been discussing. It sounded very exciting, so I’ve always kept my eye on the school.
When I was at St Marks, Inala and St Joachim’s, Holland Park, we actually brought staff out to Good Shepherd to see the model of teaching used.
We changed to a similar model at St Joachim’s, and I know of several other schools that have visited Good Shepherd over the years and observed and adopted its practices into their own schools.
Good Shepherd has a transformative school culture. And in that spirit, this year we formed a new leadership team.
This includes a Primary Leader of Learning, who has a Masters of Education in Language and Literacy Education.
The learners, staff, and parents have all been so welcoming and have been very open to any changes that we’ve already brought about.
We are reaching out to the Early Year Centres across the Greater Springfield community in order to forge strong relationships.
We’re currently visiting many kindergartens in the Ipswich community, offering parents’ information sessions about how to boost their child’s literacy skills before they start school.
I understand the difficulties of raising a family, as I’m both a parent and grandparent. As a school community, we aim to support these families, especially the learners in our care.
Strategic leadership
Principals are required to demonstrate strategic leadership and be able to set five-year goals for their community.
Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) is currently looking at the next five-year strategic plan for their 146 schools.
Each individual school community will then use this as a framework to develop their own plans.
The individual elements on which we will be concentrating are:
– developing a strong Catholic identity;
– nurturing excellent learning and teaching, where our people are at the heart of our work;
– creating a safe environment where all can thrive, and wellbeing is fostered;
– sharing our stories and partnerships by adopting a community of inclusion and diversity.
21st century school
The school was in fact established as a 21st century learning environment, through which we cater for individual learners in a collaborative teaching framework.
Young people are currently living in the most technologically changing world that we have ever experienced, and this will only continue to increase.
We cannot teach them successfully using a traditional, industrial model as we were taught.
Our learners of today will experience 3D printed houses.
They will see a world wherein the latest technological advances have become essential for wildlife conservation as much as exploring the universe.
They will discover “the metaverse’’ – and all the opportunities that artificial intelligence will provide.
We need to provide a learning environment wherein children can develop adaptable skills rather than simply regurgitate content.
That is what we aim to provide here at Good Shepherd.
For further information about Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School, including our enrolment applications, please visit www.goodshepherd.qld.edu.au.
