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Senior Leadership Team
Acting Deputy Principal
Mrs. Miranda Colquhoun
Miranda has been a member of the O’Loughlin Catholic College community since 2003 and was appointed to the Acting Deputy Principal position in Term 1 2023.
She began her teaching career in Tasmania and has worked in a number of schools across Australia, holding positions in both middle and senior leadership in both pastoral care and teaching and learning. Miranda’s previous roles in the school have included Year Level Coordinator, Health and Physical Education Coordinator and Sports Coordinator.
Miranda works closely with Year Level Coordinators and Homeroom teachers to develop a Pastoral Care Program that provides a holistic learning environment for each individual student. She will continue to support the work the College has started with the Resilience Project strengthening these relationships both inside and outside of the classroom. Miranda will also continue to develop connections with Headspace NT, Restorative Practices, Parent TV and the Learning Bar, Tell Them From Me® and more.
Miranda is passionate about student wellbeing and will work closely with students and families to ensure we are providing them with the skills to be successful in their Middle Years and transitioning to their Senior Schooling.
Assistant Principal - Religious Education
Mr Matthew Bourke
Matthew Bourke has been a member of the O'Loughlin Catholic College community since 2008. Prior to this he and his wife Cathy arrived in the Territory to teach at St Joseph's Katherine, later moving to Darwin to teach at Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School in 2006. Their family grew over these years with four children being born in the NT. Nominated by others from the Diocese of Darwin, Matt, Cathy and their children had the privilege of attending the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia as delegates for the Australian Catholic Bishops's Conference in 2015.
All these experiences have solidified a deep love for the people and places of the Territory, as well as for the Catholic community throughout Australia and the world. This sense of family extends particularly to the O'Loughlin community as Matt has journeyed with hundreds of students and their families as a teacher and leader over more than a decade.
Matt believes that the needs of each individual student are at the heart of everything we do in Catholic Education - this includes not only their academic and pastoral needs but most importantly their spiritual welfare. His desire is that each student, staff member and their families experience the love of Jesus in their lives so that they can proclaim this to others with faith, hope and love.
Director Of Teaching & Learning
Ms Siobhan Shaikh
Siobhan was appointed as Director of Teaching and Learning at O'Loughlin Catholic College in 2021. She began her teaching career as a Secondary English teacher in the North of England before moving to Darwin in 2011. Immediately prior to joining the College, Siobhan supported schools across the Northern Territory in her role as Education Officer for Catholic Education Northern Territory (CENT). Before this she worked as Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Head of Faculty at the Essington International School, Darwin.
Siobhan is passionate about ensuring both educators and learners are empowered to reach their potential. This is underpinned by her faith and belief that every child and teacher should be treated with respect, dignity and compassion. Her experience in data-driven decision making and strategic planning, ensures her leadership in the area of teaching and learning yields successful outcomes for all students.
Acting Head Of Senior School
Mr Jake Barnes
Jake is a Health, Physical Education and Outdoor Education teacher who was born in Alice Springs, lived in Ngukurr and moved to Darwin when he was roughly three years old. He completed a double degree with a Bachelor of Teaching and Learning and a Bachelor of Science (Exercise and Sport Science) at Charles Darwin University after receiving a scholarship from the Northern Territory Government.
Jake has a long history with O'Loughlin Catholic College, he attended as a student and has now worked at the College for over 10 years. He has been a Year Level Coordinator for over 7 years and is the current Stage 1 and Stage 2 Physical Education Teacher. He is also the current A Grade Rugby League coach of the Litchfield Bears, a role he has held since 2018.
He works together with Homeroom teachers, Year Level Coordinators, Indigenous Education workers, the Inclusion Support team, and the Head of Middle School to support the wellbeing and pastoral care needs of our students. He believes that positive relationships are the cornerstone of building an inclusive and successful culture within the College community. In addition, Jake works closely with the Director of Teaching and Learning and Careers Practitioner, to track student progress across the senior school. This is to identify early intervention strategies, support, and alternative pathways to successfully complete Year 11 and 12.
Jake is looking forward to a successful 2023.
Acting Head Of Middle School
Ms Joanne Green
Ms Jo Green is a Visual Art and Media Arts specialist who grew up in the Darwin suburbs. Her previous positions at the College have been Year Level Coordinator and leading the Arts and Technology learning area as Head of Department. Jo is excited about her new role and is looking forward to working more closely with our middle school students.
Ms Green joined the College community after completing her teaching qualification from CDU in 2010. Working in the hospitality and design industry before completing a Bachelor of Visual Arts has helped Ms Green to bring creativity to the College community. Much of her work over the years here, has been focused on putting an emphasis on showcasing the student’s creative work to the College community. She helped build the College’s creative arts festival into an annual calendar highlight, as well as producing the College’s musical comeback with Mulan in 2018, Aladdin in 2019, and O to the C in 2021. Ms Green prides herself on creating atmospheres that foster positive relationships with students and believes creativity is a vital and enriching part of education. “My goal is to ensure students feel welcomed and that they belong. They need to be exposed to a variety of creative processes that will enable them to enrich their life.”
Ms Green advocates that an education enriched with creativity creates opportunities for resilience and problem solving that helps ready students for the challenges associated with life after high school. She is very excited to be leading the Middle School team. Her goal is to strengthen and build relationships with students and to create positive and engaging learning environments to help with differentiation, inclusion, and student engagement.
