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SERVICE AWARDS

Marist Service Awards 2021

These awards recognise dedicated service by staff members both at St Gregory’s College and in other Marist ministries.

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10

Year Service Awards

In appreciation of ten years of committed and dedicated service to Marist ministries, we extend our thanks and congratulations to the following staff:

Mr Brendan O’Flynn

Mr Brendan O’Flynn commenced teaching at the College in January 2011. He is a Technologies teacher working with great dedication and commitment to inspire his students. He leads a fantastic team of staff as the Leader of Learning – Technologies. Mr O’Flynn was also a live-in Boarding Supervisor for three years. Apart from his passion in his teaching area, Mr O’Flynn is actively involved in a wide range of activities beyond the classroom as a sports coach and he is also an avid participant in outdoor education, which makes him very well suited to another one of his roles as the Coordinator of the Duke of Edinburgh program.

Mr Peter Smith

Mr Peter Smith commenced at the College in April 2011. Coming to St Greg’s from a management role with a sports equipment company, Mr Smith then joined the Property and Facilities team at St Greg’s. Mr Smith has made a tremendous contribution to the great work of the Facilities Team and his role is integral to keeping the College functioning and always looking fantastic. Peter also plays a vital role in supporting the work of the Technologies Department in maintaining and servicing equipment. Mr Smith is a gentleman and humble man and truly deserving of our recognition.

Mr Edward Stefanski

Mr Edward Stefanski commenced at the College in January 2011. Arriving as an inspired and passionate Old Boy of St Greg’s, Mr Stefanski has a particular passion and love for the Sciences, including Agriculture. Mr Stefanski is a teacher that inspires and challenges students to always give their best. He is also an extremely committed and tireless advocate of the College’s Agricultural program, including being a fantastic contributor to the incredibly successful Show Teams, where he has devoted a phenomenal amount of his own time to provide wonderfully enriching experiences for a wide range of students.

Mr Baldino Vetrano commenced at the College in January 2011 as a Languages Teacher and he also held the position of Year Leader. For three years, he took on the role of Executive Assistant to the Deputy Principal, prior to moving into the position of Pastoral Care Coordinator and then to his current role of Director of Students. Mr Vetrano is well known to all members of the College community. He is passionate about student wellbeing and a wonderfully positive mentor to students who may stray and need to be guided back to the righteous path of being good Christians and virtuous citizens.

20

Year Service Awards

In appreciation of twenty years of committed and dedicated service to Marist ministries, we extend our thanks and congratulations to the following staff:

Mr Paul Fox

Mr Paul Fox has been a member of the College’s Boarding community, first as the Boarding Coordinator for Fingal House and also Live-In Supervisor since January 2001. Notably, Mr Fox has never missed a day of work and throughout the last two decades he has been a stalwart for the Boarding program at St Gregory’s College. Mr Fox has been incredibly generous with his time in giving great service to the community, not just in the Boarding program but also being actively involved in sport and other activities, including being the coach of the ISA First Basketball Team for many years.

Miss Karen Kissick (nee Vardy)

Miss Karen Kissick (nee Vardy) was first employed at St Gregory’s College on 27 April 2001 and she recently retired from work on 30 April 2021, after giving just over twenty years of extremely dedicated service. Karen was, for two decades, the College’s Print Room Manager, as a very diligent and dedicated employee and someone who always took great pride in her work. She was always supportive and helpful and unfailingly committed to helping others. We thank and congratulate Karen for her outstanding service and we wish her a happy and fulfilling retirement.

Mrs Michelle Gardiner

Mrs Michelle Gardiner commenced at the College in 2005 in the role of Literacy Support Teacher and she is now the College’s Leader of Learning – English, a position she has held since January 2016. Prior to St Greg’s, Mrs Gardiner completed eight years of service from 1993 to 2000 at Mount Carmel Catholic High School. Prior to commencing her teaching career in in 1993, Mrs Gardiner was a media analyst. We acknowledge Mrs Gardiner as an extremely experienced and dedicated teacher who engages her students with her passion for literature. We also acknowledge her extensive contribution to debating and public speaking over an extended period of time.

Mr Lee MacMaster commenced as the College Principal at St Gregory’s College in 2019. Prior to St Greg’s he was the Principal at St Andrew’s College Redlynch (Cairns) for seven years. Before this, his work in Marist education included five years at St Joseph’s College Hunters Hill from 2007 to 2011 as the Director of Teaching and Learning and twelve years at Trinity College Lismore from 1995 to 2006 as the Assistant Principal – Dean of Studies. We acknowledge Mr MacMaster as an incredibly enthusiastic and passionate educational leader who gives himself selflessly and wholeheartedly to St Greg’s and who is someone who is always present, fully immersed and engaged with all aspects of the College community.

Mrs Lucy Willoughby

Mrs Lucy Willoughby commenced at the College in January 2001 as the College Receptionist, a position she has held continuously for the last two decades. Over the years, Lucy’s role has encompassed a wide range of responsibilities within the broad area of Student Services, including student awards. Mrs Willoughby has been the very friendly, warm, responsive and welcoming first point of contact for the thousands of people who have called or visited the College over all of these years. She is an unassuming and humble person, who always strives to give her best and make you feel valued and respected. We commend and thank Mrs Willoughby for her outstanding work and dedication to making St Greg’s such a welcoming place.

Combined 90 Years of Service to St Gregory’s College

The next three members of staff have collectively, very faithfully and diligently, served the community of St Gregory’s College for more than ninety years in total. Two of these staff members are being recognised for twenty-five years of service and one for forty years of continuous service. All three are similar in the way they have gone about their work without fanfare or seeking the limelight, working behind the scenes with great dedication and pride in the College whilst serving with great commitment and distinction.

25 Year Service Awards In appreciation of twenty-five years of committed and dedicated service to Marist ministries, we extend our thanks and congratulations to the following staff:

Mrs Anna Blacklow

Hundreds if not thousands of students and staff have benefited enormously from the incredibly efficient, committed and extremely gracious and humble Mrs Anna Blacklow. Mrs Blacklow has been the mainstay working behind the scenes without fanfare or expectation of recognition as an incredibly loyal and passionate member of staff. She is a wonderful, faith-filled person. In her current role managing the College Laundry, she has provided wonderful service and always worked for the betterment of the members of this community. It certainly is not just those in the Boarding community who should be highly appreciative of Mrs Blacklow as she has gone above and beyond to serve all in the community. Having commenced at the College in February 1996, Mrs Blacklow has more than twenty-five years of continuous service to Gregory’s College – an amazing achievement!

Commencing at St Greg’s on 29 January 1996, Mr David Gray is the Leading Hand for the College Cleaning Team. Mr Gray is a very humble and unassuming man, but he certainly takes great pride in his work by always ensuring that the College is spick and span. Mr Gray works the late shift and he would frequently be the last person on site and awake, often here into the early hours of the morning. Whilst he rightly gets a little frustrated when respect isn’t shown for the work of him and his team, he doggedly goes about his duties because he really does love this place! He is quick-witted and loves a joke, but the maroon and sky blue runs deep in his veins, almost as much as the Myrtle Green and Cardinal Red of his beloved South Sydney Rabbitohs! Our sincere thanks and gratitude are extended to Mr Gray as we acknowledge his outstanding quarter-century of service.

40 Year Service Awards In appreciation of forty years of committed and dedicated service to Marist ministries, we extend our thanks and congratulations to Mrs Sharon Mulholland.

Mrs Sharon Mulholland

Mrs Sharon Mulholland commenced her employment at the College in 1981, four decades ago! Mrs Mulholland is a very dedicated and committed staff member, someone who is highly valued and most definitely very loyal given her continuous commitment to serving this community. Mrs Mulholland has worked as a Laboratory Assistant and provided outstanding service and support to the Science department. In addition, she has been a valued team member of the College’s Support Staff. Although Mrs Mulholland would not be well known to some members of the College community, she is always there working away with 24 FEAST OF ST MARCELLIN CHAMPAGNAT great tenacity and an enduring commitment to her work, never looking for acknowledgement and always being very humble. It would be difficult to calculate the number of students and staff who TEMPLATE 2 have benefited directly and indirectly from Sharon’s work, but we would like to assure her that this has been greatly appreciated. Above all, her enduring commitment and dedication have been first class! We warmly congratulate and most sincerely thank Mrs Sharon Mulholland for her outstanding contributions to the St Gregory’s College community over the past four decades.

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24 FEAST OF ST MARCELLIN CHAMPAGNAT TEMPLATE 2 KINDNESS

SERVICE

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