Tartan Newsletter Ed 13

From the Principal:
Creating the Conditions for Students to Thrive

As we look towards 2027, John Septimus Roe Anglican Community School continues to consider how our leadership structures, learning environments and use of technology can best support students. While the initiatives outlined below address different areas of School life, they share a common purpose: creating the conditions in which students can focus, connect, learn and thrive.

Our School Leadership for 2027

The School’s 2027 leadership restructure is an important investment in the future of JSRACS. It will strengthen educational and pastoral leadership, clarify responsibilities and support closer engagement with staff, students and families across the Primary, Middle and Senior Schools.

The new structure has also enhanced our capacity to attract accomplished educational leaders. Following a comprehensive recruitment process, we have appointed Matthew Weston as Associate Principal, Senior School (Yr 9 – 12), Emma Gerloff as Director of Pastoral Care Primary (KG – Yr 4), and Chris Stickman as Director of Teaching and Learning Primary (KG – Yr 4).

Matthew Weston joins us from Guildford Grammar School, where he has served as Director of Boarding since 2014 and as a member of the Executive Leadership Team. He is also the co-creator of the nationally recognised VI Well-Being Program and brings extensive experience in executive leadership, pastoral care, strategic planning, staff development and organisational change.

Emma Gerloff joins us from Georgiana Molloy Anglican School, where she is an Early Years Leader specialising in wellbeing. She previously spent more than 15 years at St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School, including as Junior School Coordinator of Wellbeing. Her expertise includes restorative practice, trauma-informed education, positive psychology, student wellbeing and community engagement.

Chris Stickman joins us from Scotch College, where he is Primary Years Coordinator and has recently served as Acting Deputy Head of Junior School (Teaching and Learning). His previous leadership experience includes roles at St Leonard’s College in Melbourne and the International School of Western Australia, as well as teaching internationally in Hong Kong. He brings a strong commitment to contemporary pedagogy, teacher development and student learning.

These appointments reflect the calibre of educators attracted to JSR and their confidence in the School's direction.

As we welcome our new leaders, we also acknowledge three valued members of our current leadership team who will transition out of their current roles at the end of 2026.

After many years of significant service, Christina Wallis has relinquished her position as Associate Principal Senior School to spend 2027 with her family. We are grateful for Christina’s leadership and substantial contribution to JSR. This is not a farewell, as Christina will return to the School in another capacity in 2028. We wish Christina and her family well for the year ahead and look forward to welcoming her back.

Shelley Rowell and Tanya Quinn, currently Director of Pastoral Care (Primary) and Director of Teaching and Learning (Primary), respectively, have secured positions at Swan Valley Anglican Community School for 2027.

Their appointments demonstrate one of the strengths of the AngliSchools system. Staff can broaden their professional experience and contribute to another school community while remaining within the wider AngliSchools network. This mobility supports professional growth and enables knowledge, leadership experience and effective practice to be shared across our schools.

We sincerely thank Shelley Rowell and Tanya Quinn for their significant contributions to JSR over many years. Both have played important roles in the development of our Primary School and in supporting the learning, pastoral care and wellbeing of our students. We wish them every success as they transition into Swan Valley Anglican Community School.

Together, these appointments and transitions reflect continuity and renewal, while recognising those who have helped shape our School and welcoming the experience and perspectives of our incoming leaders.

The Yondr Program in Years 7 to 11

From the beginning of Term 4, the School will introduce the Yondr Phone-Free Schools Program for students in Years 7 to 11. This initiative is not simply about restricting access to mobile phones. It is about providing students with greater space to concentrate, participate in lessons, interact meaningfully with others and remain present in their learning.

Each student will be assigned a secure, lockable Yondr pouch. At the beginning of the School day, students will switch off their mobile phones, smart watches and other smart technology, place the devices inside the pouch and lock it. Students will retain possession of their pouch throughout the day and unlock it at designated stations when leaving the School.

Yondr reports that, across schools using its program, 86% reported improved safety and student wellness, 84% saw increased classroom engagement, and 44 experienced fewer behavioural referrals. We will, however, evaluate the program carefully within our own School context.

Families will continue to be able to contact students during the day through the School’s Administration Offices. Appropriate arrangements will also remain available for students who require access to a mobile device for verified medical reasons.

In an emergency, students must follow established safety procedures and staff directions. Unauthorised phone use can delay responses, spread misinformation and disrupt coordinated safeguarding measures. Emergency communication will therefore continue to be managed through the School.

Ultimately, Yondr is intended to help students develop a healthier relationship with personal technology. By reducing notifications, messaging and online activity during the School day, we aim to support sustained attention, face-to-face conversation, active participation and genuine connection.

A More Deliberate Approach to Digital Devices in Years 4 and 5

In 2027, the School will introduce a digital dilution pilot in Year 5. Digital dilution does not mean removing technology from learning. Rather, it means ensuring that devices are used deliberately and only when they add genuine educational value.

As part of this change, the School will no longer provide each Year 5 student with an individual laptop. Instead, devices will be available throughout the School day through shared School resources. Teachers will provide students with access to these devices when they are the most appropriate tool for a particular lesson, assessment or learning activity.

The School will also change the way devices are provided in Year 4. Rather than issuing each student with an iPad for individual use, Year 4 students will have access to School-based devices during the day when required for learning.

These changes will allow teachers to make purposeful decisions about when technology supports learning and when a non-digital approach may be more effective.

Students will continue to develop digital literacy, online safety and productivity skills through structured learning opportunities. Devices will remain available for technology based tasks, while assistive technologies and targeted digital support will continue to be provided for students with verified needs.

The pilot will be carefully monitored, with consideration given to student engagement, behaviour, learning, wellbeing, and feedback from teachers and families. Its purpose is to provide local evidence about how a more balanced approach to technology affects attention, collaboration and learning before any broader changes are considered.

Looking Ahead

The 2027 leadership restructure, the Yondr program and the changes to device provision in Years 4 and 5 reflect our commitment to strong leadership, purposeful teaching and student wellbeing.

The Yondr program will establish clearer boundaries around personal technology for students in Years 7 to 11. In Years 4 and 5, students will have access to shared, School-based devices when technology is appropriate for a particular learning task, rather than being allocated an individual device.

This is not a move away from digital learning. It is a more balanced approach that places educational purpose at the centre of decisions about technology.

I thank our staff, students and families for their support as we continue to create an environment in which every student can focus, connect, learn and thrive.

Every Blessing

Jason Bartell
Principal

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