Headquarters:
66a Woolwich Road, Woolwich, NSW
Year founded:
1908
Number of employees:
110
Phone:
02 9816 2041
Email:
info@mscw.catholic.edu.au
Website:
mscwoolwich.syd.catholic.edu.au
LinkedIn:
linkedin.com/company/marist-sisters'-college-woolwich
“We recognise the shifting dynamics within the profession, and consequently, we are committed to supporting a healthy work-life balance for staff”
Melissa Carson,
Marist Sisters’ College
Dr. Anne Ireland
College Principal
Melinda Alvarez
College Assistant Principal
Justin Hodges
Leader of Learning
Leadership
Dr. Anne Ireland has dedicated over 17 years to serving as principal of two large secondary girls’ colleges. She holds an impressive academic background, including a doctorate in education, a master’s in leadership, a master of arts, a diploma in education and a certificate in gifted education. Widely recognised for her passionate advocacy for girls, she has published insightful articles on topics such as “consent and respect,” “leadership for school improvement,” “integration of wellbeing and curriculum,” “perspective and inspiration,” “everyday happiness,” “everyday gratitude” and “remote learning.” Her doctoral research focused on “strategic leadership for school improvement.”
In 2016 and 2022, she embarked on an International Professional Study, conducting research at prestigious institutions including Stanford University, Harvard University, Boston College and in locations across Toronto, Scotland and Ireland. Beyond her educational pursuits, Dr. Ireland is actively involved in several community charities, reflecting her commitment to making a positive impact in the wider community.
College Principal
Dr. Anne Ireland
Melinda Alvarez is an energetic and dedicated senior teaching professional with over 20 years of experience. She has excelled as an educator in various curriculum and pastoral leadership roles throughout her career. Passionate about mentoring high-performing teams, Melinda focuses on providing sustainable teaching services that benefit both students and the school community. Her journey includes a pivotal role as assistant principal, where she drives educational excellence and fosters a collaborative learning environment, creating a positive atmosphere for both staff and students to thrive.
College Assistant Principal
Melinda Alvarez
Justin Hodges is an accomplished and results-driven educator dedicated to empowering students to become independent, lifelong learners. With a wealth of skills and expertise in high-impact teaching and learning, he serves as a senior curriculum leader at the school, ensuring that all students benefit from high-quality, balanced learning opportunities through evidence-based innovations.
Exemplifying adaptive leadership, Justin collaborates with teams to guide and inspire educational transformation efforts. His coaching approach actively fosters the growth of both staff and student talent within a safe and supportive environment, creating a positive atmosphere for everyone involved.
Leader of Learning
Justin Hodges
“We recognise the shifting dynamics within the profession, and consequently, we are committed to supporting a healthy work-life balance for staff”
Melissa Carson,
Marist Sisters’ College
“We also invest a lot of time as a leadership team in open dialogue and really listening to the voices of our staff”
Melinda Alvarez,
Marist Sisters’ College
Leadership
“We also invest a lot of time as a leadership team in open dialogue and really listening to the voices of our staff”
Melinda Alvarez,
Marist Sisters’ College
“We recognise the shifting dynamics within the profession, and consequently, we are committed to supporting a healthy work-life balance for staff”
Melissa Carson,
Marist Sisters’ College
Leadership
Melissa Carson
Leader of Professional Identity and Learning
Melissa Carson has enjoyed a distinguished 30-year career in Catholic education, holding various leadership positions in both curriculum and pastoral care. With a research background in instructional practice, she is dedicated to fostering an environment where individuals can thrive.
In recognition of her exceptional contributions, Melissa received a Leadership Award from the NSW branch of the Australian Council of Educational Leadership in 2015. She was also honoured with a Teachers’ Guild of New South Wales award in 2019 for her work in literacy and parental engagement, and she was a finalist for the Teachers’ Guild of New South Wales research award in 2020. Her commitment to excellence continues to inspire those around her.
Leader of Professional Identity and Learning
Melissa Carson
Lyndal Runge
Deputy Principal – Secondary
With extensive experience spanning both the Catholic and independent education sectors across Australia, Lyndal Runge is proud to contribute her expertise to an award-winning, 5-staff Innovative School team. In her role as deputy principal – secondary at Balcombe Grammar, she works to empower the school’s staff to cultivate adaptability and innovation across all aspects of secondary school. Runge is dedicated to enhancing the capabilities of both educators and students, eagerly taking on the task of leading innovation in alignment with the school’s strategic vision. Her passion for the future of education shines through as she strives to create an educational environment that encourages all community members to embrace the excitement and challenges of tomorrow.
Deputy Principal – Secondary
Lyndal Runge
Marist Sisters’ College has a proud Catholic heritage, promoting the values of its French founders, the Marist Sisters, and is one of 147 Sydney Catholic Schools. Rooted in a tradition of excellence, its mission is to endeavour to provide a nurturing environment where both academic and personal growth can flourish.
The College’s consistent advocacy prioritises “knowing the learner and the person.” Innovation is driven by school-wide weekly professional learning afternoons with projects ranging from a College Reconciliation Action Plan to coaching conversations facilitating individual staff Professional Growth in Action Plans.
Employing an action research model, each Professional Learning Community group focuses on establishing their own norms and design. Participants include graduate teachers to those with those with extensive career experience, all with equal responsibility and voice. This collaborative spirit allows the College to continuously evolve its educational practices, ensuring that both staff and students thrive.
Melissa Carson, Leader of Professional Identity and Learning, says, “We recognise the shifting dynamics within the profession, and consequently, we are committed to supporting a healthy work-life balance for staff. This ensures that our staff feel empowered to develop into highly competent practitioners while taking opportunities for self-care.”
By supporting this professional evolution, the College aims to help staff and students alike exceed their potential.
“We also invest a lot of time as a leadership team in open dialogue and really listening to the voices of our staff”
Melinda Alvarez,
Marist Sisters’ College
Kylie Quinlivan
General Counsel and Company Secretary
Keith Schlosser
Global Chief Information Officer
Dan Draper
Group Chief Underwriting Officer
Simon Williams
Chief Strategy & Distribution Officer, Arch Insurance International
and Active Underwriter, Syndicate 1955
Kylie Quinlivan is general counsel and company secretary of hipages Group and a member of the executive team. This is her second role as general counsel of an ASX-listed company. Quinlivan is a top-tier trained corporate lawyer with over 17 years of experience in public and private M&A/transactional work, fundraising, and corporate governance. She is commercially oriented, curious, and with a demonstrated ability to understand complex matters quickly and communicate simply. Quinlivan is excited by hipages’ growth potential, its entrepreneurial spirit and conviction for creating a unique culture. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce/Laws (Honours) and a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney.
General Counsel and Company Secretary
Kylie Quinlivan
Keith Schlosser is global chief information officer at AXIS Capital, where he leads the company’s global information technology and data strategy. He is also responsible for driving change throughout the organisation by delivering high-quality, future-oriented IT services in line with AXIS Capital’s business strategy. Schlosser has more than 30 years of insurance industry experience, spanning roles in information technology, business solutions, marketing and sales. Prior to AXIS, he served as chief information officer for Chubb’s Overseas General Insurance division, where he spearheaded a number of growth, innovation, digital and change initiatives. Before that, he served as CIO at The Travelers Companies international division. Schlosser was also a vice president for marketing technology and web communications at AIG.
Global Chief Information Officer
Keith Schlosser
Dan Draper was appointed group chief underwriting officer in September 2022. He had previously served for more than two years as group head of underwriting at AXIS. Prior to that, he had been group chief risk and actuarial officer at VIBE. Before joining VIBE, Draper spent eight years with AXIS, holding a number of leadership roles that included group chief actuary, chief risk analytics officer, and insurance segment chief risk officer. Before that, he held managerial positions at the Financial Services Authority, XL Capital, and EY.
Group Chief Underwriting Officer
Dan Draper
Kimi leads the Estate Planning and Wealth Protection team and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She understands the complex and delicate nature of family estate planning, the technical requirements around probate and estate administration, and the importance of preserving wealth for future generations. Her advice is accurate, commercial, strategic and tailored to each situation.
Partner
Kimi Shah
Kimi leads the Estate Planning and Wealth Protection team and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She understands the complex and delicate nature of family estate planning, the technical requirements around probate and estate administration, and the importance of preserving wealth for future generations. Her advice is accurate, commercial, strategic and tailored to each situation.
Partner
Kimi Shah
Kimi leads the Estate Planning and Wealth Protection team and is a member of the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners. She understands the complex and delicate nature of family estate planning, the technical requirements around probate and estate administration, and the importance of preserving wealth for future generations. Her advice is accurate, commercial, strategic and tailored to each situation.
Partner
Kimi Shah
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BDM support
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Broker's Pick – Personal Accident and Illness Insurance
Brokers’ Pick – Professional liability
Small business
Medal
Overall service level
Broker communication, training and development
BDM support
Turnaround time – claims
Broker's Pick – Personal Accident and Illness Insurance
Brokers’ Pick – Professional liability
Small business
Early Career Teachers
Phase 1: contextually developed program of 1:1 fortnightly sessions commencing with effective induction and orientation to enhanced wellbeing, professional identity and professional practice (including NESA proficient accreditation application)
Phase 2: regular sessions with a key learning area colleague acting as mentor in a support triad that includes the leader of professional identity and learning
Instructional Specialist Coaching
Key learning area projects, supported by instructional specialists, including explicit instruction, literacy, numeracy, inclusive learning strategies and classroom management
Supporting staff psychological wellbeing by facilitating relationship building and informal mentoring
Developing staff capacity to use a range of data points, including PAT, AAS, NAPLAN and formative evaluative tracking tools
Transformative practices implemented through the Timperley Model
Professional Growth in Action (PGIA)
Each teacher is led by their key learning area leader, who is trained as a coach, to support their own professional growth through individual goal setting, observation and regular dialogue.
The College innovation also includes a coaching/mentoring structure involving each staff member across a range of programs:
“We also invest a lot of time as a Leadership Team in open dialogue and really listening to the voices of our staff,” says Melinda Alvarez, Assistant Principal. “We make sure that the Leadership Team is constantly networking and sharing the latest thinking and take pride in being forward-thinking and not reactive in our goal-setting. This often places us well ahead of our contemporaries in the professional culture space.”
To measure the effectiveness of innovation, the College places great importance on student learning impact. Classroom observations are used to “identify” targeted priorities, such as the College’s explicit instructional model, based on the work of Rosenshine and others. There are also two annual forums for new/early career teachers in which AITSL’s induction metric is used to ensure new staff feel supported in each of the four domains: professional practice, professional identity, wellbeing and orientation.
Dr. Anne Ireland says, “We are pleased with the positive feedback from our most recent perception data survey of students and parents, which highlighted the importance of high expectations and transformative pedagogical practices.”
