Georgiana Molloy Anglican School

GEORGIANA MOLLOY ANGLICAN SCHOOL

FAREWELL MS BURNS

Foundation staff member and Deputy Principal Jo Burns is set to farewell Georgiana Molloy Anglican School (GMAS) as she embarks upon retirement. In 2002, Ms Burns was asked to help with interviews for potential new teachers at the not yet opened School. She never left, finding herself as the newly appointed Curriculum Co-Ordinator.

“The first year was very memorable. We began with the Junior School – Kindergarten to Year 6 classes only,” she said.

“Teaching staff began the year in early January at the St Mary’s Centre. The school was still being finished off so we could not come on site. On the very first day, rolls of lawn were still being rolled out as students and families began walking into the school”. After three years Jo was appointed Head of Junior School, and when Ted Kosicki was appointed Principal five years later, he moved quickly to assign Jo as his Deputy Principal. “Jo has always shown a commitment to excellence, quality relationships and values maintaining extremely high standards,” Mr Kosicki said. “She is a goal orientated person who can step back from the day-to-day and reflect on what and how they’re doing. She is a visionary leader because she is able to take the broad view and see the big picture. “Jo is able to create an environment in which everyone has the right and the responsibility to make sense of things for themselves and to fight openly for what they think is best – and where the best thinking is paramount”. “It will be very sad for us all to farewell Jo at the end of 2021”.

Jo has been part of many changes at GMAS including the commissioning of the Multipurpose Activity Centre and the Early Learning Centre. She has especially loved seeing the beautiful gardens flourishing and the trees that have been planted that now provide shade as well as homes for the animals.

“I have always loved working with children and teaching is something I had always wanted to do. I really love seeing students persevere on challenges that at first they found quite daunting,” she said. One of her favourite places to visit is the Early Learning Centre.

“There is so much to see and do. Students enjoy showing you their artworks, they love chatting, sharing and learning. They are full of life and so honest in their feedback and reflections,” she said.

“The Centre always has something happening. There is so much colour and so much activity whatever the time of day. It is a happy place to go to.”

ASC CEO The Reverend Peter Laurence OAM said he first worked with Jo when he was Principal of All Saints’ College 20 years ago with Jo as the Deputy Head of Junior School.

“From that time until today, I came to know her as an extraordinarily hard-working, student-centred selfless educator,” he said.