Headquarters:
Adelaide, South Australia
Year founded:
2021
Number of employees:
75
Phone:
07 3013 5777
Email:
administration@brisbanesouthssc.eq.edu.au
Website:
https://brisbanesouthssc.eq.edu.au
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/school/immanuel-college-cp
“For students, two significant impacts have been the deepening and strengthening of their valuing of and engagement in collaborative learning, and their fluency and sophistication of their understanding of themselves as learners and the strategies they employ to optimise their learning, including their use of a language of learning”
Dr Hannah Campos-Remon, Brisbane Grammar School
BRISBANE SOUTH STATE SECONDARY COLLEGE
Kirsten Ferdinands
Executive Principal
Tamara Sullivan
Deputy Principal
Kristin Lynch
Deputy Principal
Leadership
Kirsten Ferdinands has been working for the Department of Education for the past 33 years. Throughout her career, Kirsten has worked in complex rural and remote communities through to large regional and metropolitan state schools as teacher, head of curriculum, deputy principal and principal. As principal of Bray Park State High School, she led the school to be awarded State School of the Year in 2017.
In 2019, Kirsten was appointed as the foundation executive principal of Brisbane South State Secondary College, South East Queensland’s newest secondary school with a unique collaboration with The University of Queensland, located in the heart of Brisbane’s ‘Knowledge Corridor’.
Kirsten is also the current secretary of the Queensland Secondary Principals’ Association. Through her roles as principal and on the executive of the QSPA, she demonstrates a passion for state schooling as well as being a strong advocate for the provision of high-quality education, including the leadership of the design and implementation of whole-school educational and cultural reform to support a 21st-century learning environment.
Executive Principal
Kirsten Ferdinands
Tamara Sullivan is the deputy principal at Brisbane South State Secondary College. As an educator with 20 years of experience in both the state and independent sector, she has extensive industry knowledge, leadership and staff mentoring, as well as the experience of delivering curriculum programs that improve outcomes for students in 21st century environments. Tamara understands the new and changing demands of the teaching profession and believes that building capacity is the cornerstone of a contemporary school. She leads e-learning, STEM, 21st-century curriculum development, learning spaces, and the meaningful use of technology across the profession.
As a lifelong learner, Tamara has been fortunate to collaborate with thought leaders in Australia and around the globe. She is often called upon to mentor other educators, participate in case studies, and share her leadership journey internationally. These experiences have helped Tamara to build strong networks and form productive partnerships that have benefited the school teams that she leads. Tamara has received numerous leadership awards, including the Australian Council for Educational Leaders Excellence in Educational Leadership Award and New Voice Scholarship and the Australian College of Educators Fellowship Award. She was a finalist in the Queensland College of Teachers Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning Award.
Deputy Principal
Tamara Sullivan
Kristin Lynch is an experienced deputy principal with a passion for leading student-centred approaches to learning, where wellbeing and student agency are key to supporting students to engage positively in their learning both within and beyond the school. She has led Deep Learning pedagogies to develop students’ 21st century skills in order to best prepare them for a rapidly changing world. Her experience of leading one of the 20 Pilot School programs to introduce Year 7 into high schools in Queensland has ensured she is well-informed on best practice and understanding of the needs of adolescents within the Junior Secondary phase, as well as engaging with parents as learning partners.
She has an interest in ‘positive behaviour for learning’ and restorative practices, which ensures the young people, teachers and families within her schools feel connected and supported. Kristin has a background in health and physical education, and therefore has a personal interest in the health and wellbeing of her students, self and community.
Deputy Principal
Kristin Lynch
“For students, two significant impacts have been the deepening and strengthening of their valuing of and engagement in collaborative learning, and their fluency and sophistication of their understanding of themselves as learners and the strategies they employ to optimise their learning, including their use of a language of learning”
Dr Hannah Campos-Remon, Brisbane Grammar School
“Our initial foci have reflected a focus on teacher’s classroom practices. The next steps involve directing more attention to both our academic middle leaders and our students”
Dr Hannah Campos-Remon, Brisbane Grammar School
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“Our initial foci have reflected a focus on teacher’s classroom practices. The next steps involve directing more attention to both our academic middle leaders and our students”
Dr Hannah Campos-Remon, Brisbane Grammar School
“For students, two significant impacts have been the deepening and strengthening of their valuing of and engagement in collaborative learning, and their fluency and sophistication of their understanding of themselves as learners and the strategies they employ to optimise their learning, including their use of a language of learning”
Dr Hannah Campos-Remon, Brisbane Grammar School
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Bernie Dean
Director of Boarding
Ed Roper joined the School as the ICT curriculum support teacher and teacher of mathematics in 1982. Since then, he has been a boarding housemaster, head of year, head of mathematics, and, in the early 2000s, planned and led the introduction of middle schooling at BGS. He commenced in the role of deputy headmaster in 2006 within the staffing and community relations area, and in his current role in 2021.
Deputy Headmaster, People and Culture
Ed Roper
Martyn Anderson
Director of Teaching and Learning
Steve Uscinski leads the team of the studies directorate. In his more than 20 years at BGS, he has served as a teacher of English, coach of rugby and cricket, director of the senior dramatic production, boarding housemaster, school administrator and curriculum innovator and leader.
Deputy Headmaster, Teaching and Learning
Steve Uscinski
Brisbane South State Secondary College is South East Queensland’s newest state secondary school, bringing a global outlook to integrated learning for its students. The College was established with an ambitious vision: to become a state secondary college that will set the benchmark for secondary education internationally — a future-focused dynamic school, in collaboration with The University of Queensland, one of the world’s top universities — to apply national and state curriculum standards, underpinned by research-based pedagogies and an international perspective, and to develop capable, globally minded students who embrace and lead change.
“Our initial foci have reflected a focus on teacher’s classroom practices. The next steps involve directing more attention to both our academic middle leaders and our students”
Dr Hannah Campos-Remon, Brisbane Grammar School
Simon Cooper
Chaplain
Nina Langley
Director of Human Resources
Shane McGregor
Director of Business
Steve Blight
Director of Development
Greg Thorne joined BGS in January 2019. He is an experienced educational leader with a broad range of proficiencies. He has expertise in student wellbeing roles, curriculum leadership and school administration. Greg was part of the senior leadership team at Nudgee College for eight years, most recently as the director of activities for sport and culture. He has also been chairperson of multiple GPS Association sub-committees.
Deputy Headmaster, Co-curricular
Greg Thorne
Jacqui Zervos joined the School in 1995 as a teacher of geography and history, having completed her initial teacher qualification at The University of Queensland in 1987 and then spending seven years teaching with Education Queensland. She is well known as a passionate and exemplary teacher of geography and took on the position of head of year in 2001. During the following five years as head of year, Jacqui completed her Master of Education at UQ with a major study into boys’ education. She was appointed head of middle school in 2006. In 2018, she was seconded to her current position and in 2020 was confirmed as executive director, educational innovation on a permanent basis from 2021.
Executive Director, Educational Innovation
Jacqui Zervos
Rebecca Campbell joined BGS in mid-2013 as the School’s first head of Years 5 and 6. She has spent the past 15 years working in GPS boys’ schools. A dedicated educator, she is committed to creating a positive learning culture that supports the holistic development of each student. Rebecca is a graduate of the University of Newcastle, where she completed a master’s degree specialising in educating boys. In recent years, she has attained a Professional Certificate in Instructional Leadership through the University of Melbourne. Rebecca fulfilled the head of middle school role in Term 1 2017 and from 2018 to 2020. She was appointed to the position of head of middle school in 2021.
Head of Middle School
Rebecca Campbell
Inma Beaumont joined BGS at the beginning of 2020. She is an experienced advancement professional, having implemented fundraising and engagement operations for three different units over six years at The University of Queensland. Inma led the fundraising campaign to renovate the Forgan Smith Building, home to the TC Beirne School of Law at UQ. She subsequently spent three years as director of advancement at the UQ Faculty of Health, where she conceived and delivered a major gifts program. Her fundraising experience follows a 15-year career in finance, including as CFO of Citibank Australia. She is a non-executive director of UN Women Australia, Speech Pathology Australia and Women’s College at UQ.
Executive Director Advancement and Community Relations
Inma Beaumont
Diana Godfrey joined Fidelity in 1995, and is currently the senior vice-president, human resources and corporate affairs. She has 27 years of industry experience and has driven innovation and transformative changes to employee benefits, talent development, charitable and diversity and inclusion programs, which have strengthened Fidelity Canada’s position as a top caring employer. She championed the implementation of Fidelity Canada’s value proposition, committed to improving the employee experience to meet their individual needs and the community at large. Fidelity Canada has been recognized with multiple employer awards and designations, which celebrate its work culture and atmosphere, corporate philanthropic initiatives, and health and benefits, to name just a few.
Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Corporate Affairs
Diana Godfrey (she/her/hers)
Cameron Murray is the senior vice president, client services and CIO for Fidelity Investments Canada ULC. In this capacity, he oversees both technology and operations for the organization in Canada. He joined Fidelity in December 1999 as Vice President, Systems Operations. He currently serves as a member of the board of directors for FundSERV, where he has been an executive committee and board member since 2002. He is also on the board of directors for Fidelity Investments Canada ULC.
Senior Vice President, Client Services and Chief Information Officer
Cameron Murray
Sarah M Stewart has more than 15 years
of strategic leasing and customer care experience in residential property management. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Centurion’s national leasing platforms, residential lead generation, and overall customer experience excellence through operation
of the company’s internal customer
service department.
Associate Vice President,
Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Sarah M Stewart
Sarah M Stewart
Associate Vice President,
Leasing and Call Centre Operations
Karen Bannister, CM
Vice President, Marketing
Dave Longbottom
Chief Technology Officer
Alex Ventura
Head of Marketing
Damian Palovick
Senior Vice President of Underwriting
AXA XL – Delegated Authority Programs, North America
Dr. Mary Lavoie
Head of Risk Management and Senior Vice President
AXA XL – Delegated Authority Programs, North America
Mark Bernacki
Chief Underwriting Officer
Ryan Armijo
Chief Operating Officer, Underwriting Division
Bob Petrilli
President, Underwriting Division
Some significant positive impacts on both students and teachers at BGS have been observed as a result of the project, according to Dr Campos-Remon.
“There has been a systematic engagement in ongoing professional learning focused on annual pedagogical priorities, spaced through the year, based in collaborative professional conversation, and supported by a cohort of peer lead learners,” she explains.
“In addition, our previous professional culture has been enriched through an emphasis on collaborative professionalism, consistent use of an evidence-informed language of learning, and a structured focus on intentionality in planning for and implementation of classroom practices that support students’ effective thinking.”
Dr Campos-Remon also notes “a school-wide focus on optimising the learning value of BGS’s classroom cultures”.
“For students, two significant impacts have been the deepening and strengthening of their valuing of and engagement in collaborative learning, and their fluency and sophistication of their understanding of themselves as learners and the strategies they employ to optimise their learning, including their use of a language of learning.”
Dr Campos-Remon says the school’s biannual evaluations of progress have informed the project’s work throughout.
“Our initial foci have reflected a focus on teacher’s classroom practices. The next steps involve directing more attention to both our academic middle leaders and our students.”
Dr Campos-Remon says this would involve strengthening the school’s focus on the development of the pedagogical leadership of its academic middle leaders, and a stronger focus on the use of data to give deeper attention to the student experience.
“This includes the leadership of and engagement in cohort-level research, and their development of their individual capacity for and use of self-regulation of their learning activities,” she says.
“BGS will also be developing strategies to optimise the induction of both new staff and new students to the expectations and practices associated with our Effective Thinking Cultures.”
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Sarah M Stewart has more than 15 years
of strategic leasing and customer care experience in residential property management. She is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Centurion’s national leasing platforms, residential lead generation, and overall customer experience excellence through operation
of the company’s internal customer
service department.
Associate Vice President,
Leasing and Call Centre Operations
10
Alexis Hill
Chief Information Officer
Alexis Hill joined BGS in April 2022 as the School’s first chief information officer to lead the Digital Transformation Program, which aims to use technology and data to enhance student outcomes. As a senior executive with over 14 years of experience in commercial and government industries, she has substantial experience in digital transformation leadership. Alexis has held CIO and director roles that focused on driving technological and organisational change in complex environments. She holds a Bachelor of Business degree and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Chief Information Officer
Alexis Hill
Brisbane South State Secondary College’s unique industry partnerships and collaborations have ensured a highly innovative curriculum design, bridging the gap between students’ learning and the global community to inspire positive change. The College’s collaboration with The University of Queensland and industry partners have strengthened its ability to deliver a world-class education by engaging with experts and using industry facilities to enhance the learning of all students.
In 2021–22, Brisbane South State Secondary College renewed its focus on learning partnerships to build a greater understanding of the roles students, parents, and industry partners play, and that by working together, to equip young people for their future.
Brisbane South State Secondary College ensures that students engage in authentic learning across their subjects through its engagement with industry professionals and industry spaces. This has been achieved by creating a Network of Learning.