Helen Symeonakis, newly-appointed Principal of
St John’s College in Melbourne, talks with George Donikian

GD: Helen, let me begin by congratulating you on your appointment as the Principal of St John’s.

HS: Thank you very much, George. I am delighted to be joining the St John’s community and excited by the challenges of transforming and building the College over the next few years.

GD Tell me about your vision for the College.

HS: I want to see St John’s become a truly outstanding school: a school that challenges every student to be their best, that caters for the needs of every student and that sees all students placed on successful paths to higher education, training, employment or service in the community. Through our emphasis on developing well-rounded young people who are optimistic, proud of their cultural and linguistic heritage, and ready to take their place as active citizens in society, I want to see St John’s College become the school of choice for Greek families in Melbourne.

GD: What are your priorities for the College?

HS: My focus will be on strengthening three areas of the school:
• academic excellence,
• Greek culture and language, and
• Christian Orthodox Religious Education.

To this end, I will be working to transform the physical environment of the school, introducing the International Baccalaureate, significantly enhancing the use of technology across the curriculum, and increasing staff access to professional development to ensure that high-quality teaching is provided throughout the school.

GD: In your previous role as Principal of Salisbury High School in South Australia you received a number of national leadership awards. What does it take to be an outstanding school leader?

HS: I think the first requirement is personal commitment and drive. A school leader has to be hungry for improvement and excellence in all aspects of the school. They must have a sense of accountability to the school community and to share parents’ desires to have the very best for their children. This means working to improve the physical environment and resources of the school, constantly improving the teaching and learning program, developing staff capacity and building strong relationships with external agencies in support of school goals. A leader must set clear directions and objectives and monitor progress in achieving those objectives. And, finally, leaders must be learners themselves, constantly seeking to identify best practice from research and from other schools and monitoring developments in the political and social contexts in which schools operate.

GD: How has your past experience prepared you for your new position?

HS: Importantly, my experience as principal at Salisbury High School for the past nine years has given me confidence in my ability to bring about significant improvement. It is hard work, but I know it can be done. I also know how important it is to build community confidence. The whole school community must be clear about where you are going, what you want to achieve and how you are going to get there. This must be communicated in a way that’s easily understood. And then it’s important to provide clear evidence of achievement and progress. I also learnt at Salisbury the importance of teamwork and partnerships.

The transformation of a school depends on parents, staff, students and the wider community working together to achieve shared goals. Everybody must have a ‘can do’ attitude and a belief that excellence is possible.