Emily Conroy
Principal
Hi, my name is Emily and I have the privilege of being the Principal of the beautiful community that is St John’s. I joined the school in 2022 and have loved getting to know new people. I believe St John’s is a very special place, with a strong sense of community that is coming back to life now that we are living and working in a post COVID environment. Like you, I was drawn to the St John’s community because of all the wonderful things that are happening in the school and match what I believe and am most passionate about in education.
I have worked in Catholic Education for over 20 years and have held various leadership roles since 2007. I see my role as Principal of St John’s as being an opportunity to foster strong school, family and Parish connectedness in living our school vision to ‘Walk Together in Light’ through faith, family engagement and social awareness. I believe children need to be at the core of all decisions. We need to know and understand them as a person and a learner to drive what we do as educators, leaders and as a school. Listening, observing and interacting with children gives us the direction and data that we need to engage and grow them. It is our job to know and understand what each child is entitled to and be able to differentiate so that all children achieve growth academically as well as socially, emotionally and spiritually.
In my time away from St John’s, I love to spend time with my family, particularly my nieces and nephews. I love going out for brunch, bush walks and watching sport, particularly my beloved Tigers! In 2023, I am looking forward to learning more about the ways we can engage with First Nations people, paying respects to their history and stories.
Karen Dodemaide
Co-Deputy Principal Wellbeing Leader
Hello St. John's Community. It is my great privilege to be continuing in the role of Co-Deputy Principal and Wellbeing Leader at St. John's Catholic School in 2023. I have been an educator for over 30 years and I have a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership and Administration. I feel very privileged to support children to achieve their personal learning goals; developing the skills, knowledge and learning dispositions they need to help them grow and thrive. Seeking opportunities for children to raise their voices; achieving active engagement in learning, is a core belief that drives me as an educator. I am proud to work with our wonderful educators and leaders in creating conditions that support the safety, wellbeing and inclusion of all and it is a great joy to work closely with our Student Leaders as they develop confidence and self-assurance to take on leadership responsibilities.
In my first year at St. John’s Catholic School in 2022, working closely with our families in support of the wellbeing and safety of all students was a highlight. It was a privilege to be part of the Centenary Year as we came together as past, present and future community members, joyously celebrating the contributions of all at St. John’s. In the role of Wellbeing Leader, I look forward to leading our community as we engage with The Resilience Project in 2023. As we explicitly focus on developing practices in expressing gratitude, empathy and mindfulness, we will live Jesus’ commandment to ‘Love one another.’
In my time away from work, I enjoy watching my own children playing sports, walking our dog and gardening. I enjoy following the Western Bulldogs in the AFL, the Melbourne Vixens in netball and the Melbourne Renegades in the BBL.
Lauren Davis
Co-Deputy Principal
Learning & Teaching Leader
Educator
My name is Lauren and I am incredibly grateful to remain part of this wonderful learning community in 2023. I have been with this community for 6 years and in that time I have taken on many different roles within the school. I have a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and I am highly passionate about relationships and creating environments that enable all people to grow, develop and thrive.
I am excited about getting to know our new faces and continue to understand all the children in our environment, particularly their interests to help drive emotional connections to learning. I focus on developing character traits and learning dispositions by helping to intentionally design every learning experience with educators. I believe these are the necessary, transferable skills (alongside being literate and numerate) that children need to be successful. The St. John’s environment is an inspirational place and unlike any other I have worked. I love thinking and reflecting, as well as designing different learning spaces to create opportunities for children to construct and express their knowledge and understanding.
When I’m away from school, you’ll find Chris and I in our backyard, maybe gardening, reading (when we get a chance) and playing with our children. Billy turned three years old in September and Harvey was born in May 2022. Our family often visits the coast during holidays, exploring the beach and being with nature. I am looking forward to another incredible year where we will reimagine what successful education can be!
Jordan Fry
Faith/RE Leader
3/4 Hub Educator
Hello beautiful St John’s community! In addition to working alongside Michele and Erin in the Four Hub, I will be fulfilling the RE/Faith leadership role this year. I feel honoured and excited to continue developing and strengthening our community’s spirituality and connection with Faith.
I believe that children should be at the centre of their learning, and have the freedom to explore and discover their individual passions and interests through the 100 Languages of Learning. Forming genuine and meaningful relationships with students and families is vital in supporting students and in fostering a love for learning.
In my spare time you can find me with my fur babies: Bella the dog and Hank the cat, or spending time with my parents on their farm in Geelong.
Chevon Adamidis
Learning & Teaching Leader
Hi!
My name is Chevon and I have had the privilege of being a part of the St. John’s family for the past seven years! I have loved being a part of the school’s journey and am proud to work in a setting that continually places ‘children at the centre’. In 2023, I will be embarking on the most wonderful adventure, as I become a mum for the second time! My husband, Johnny and I will be welcoming a little girl in April and I will spend the rest of 2023 on Maternity leave. I am looking forward to navigating the many joys and challenges of wrangling a toddler and a newborn!
As an educator, I am passionate about re-imagining what success at school looks like for our learners. I look forward to leading our educators in empowering our children to achieve growth in their learning; and providing our children with abundant opportunities to discover and explore their own curiosities.
I look forward to reconnecting with all of our lovely families and getting to know our newest community members.
Amy Littley
Learning & Teaching Leader
Educator
Hi, I’m Amy and I will be part of the 5/6 Hub and Learning and Teaching Team for 2023.
I had the privilege of becoming part of the very welcoming St John’s community in 2022. I love the way the children are at the centre of everything we do at St John’s and we support them as they grow and flourish each day. I look forward to working alongside our amazing educators to design engaging learning experiences that allow children to discover the world around them and explore their own curiosities.
In my spare time, I like to spend time with my friends and family. I love to travel around the world exploring different cultures and admiring nature, my photo is from a Safari in Tanzania where we were lucky enough to pass 80 giraffes migrating across the Serengeti National Park. I also enjoy walking with my dog, Sandy, visiting local markets and baking!
Mairead Doherty
Learning and Teaching Leader (Years 1-3)
Numeracy Intervention Educator
Hello! My name is Mairead and I joined the St John’s team in 2022. I’m very excited to remain part of such a warm and welcoming community this year. In 2023 I will be part of the Learning and Teaching team, working closely with the children and educators in years 1,2 and 3. I will also work with children to provide small group additional support in Numeracy.
My teaching philosophy is built on the values of respect, inclusion and equity. My approach ensures children are at the centre of all learning experiences. I try to create a safe learning environment that encourages children to become critical and creative thinkers. I believe our goal as educators is to support children in their learning journey so that they can grow in their understanding of themselves and the world around them.
When I am not at St John’s I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, visiting places around our lovely state, country and world as well as eating lots of the delicious food our city has to offer. I love creating pottery in my home studio and have a very small online business.
I am looking forward to spending another year building relationships with the families in the St John’s community.
Shelly Stuart
Learning Diversity Leader
Hi, my name is Shelly and I am so excited to be joining the St John’s community as Learning Diversity Leader in 2023! I’ve been fortunate to be a leader in Catholic primary schools for the past 12 years, including Learning and Teaching, Literacy and Diversity roles. Prior to moving to Melbourne, I was an educator in schools in Bendigo and Mildura.
I’m very passionate about creating an environment where diversity is celebrated and all students can experience success at school every day. I fell in love with working in play and project-based spaces many years ago and strongly believe that these environments help students to understand themselves as learners and genuinely celebrate unique strengths, challenges and passions.
Away from school, I spend as much time with family and friends as I can. My husband, our daughter Matilda and I love to travel, particularly on little trips around Victoria in our caravan. I absolutely love live music and will always jump at the chance to see a great band!
Having visited St John’s a number of times, I knew that this was a school community I’d love to be a part of - a place where the values align so closely to my own. I know that this school values all aspects of a learner’s development equally and whole-heartedly believes that all children are capable of amazing things! I am so excited to be joining this team and cannot wait to meet the children and their families!