When Jim Brennan found himself standing in the Principal’s office in 1981, he never dreamed that he would one day be the man sitting in the boss’s chair of St Joseph’s College.

While he is delighted to be returning to his old school, which he attended from 1981-1982, Jim admits the feeling is surreal.

“It’s quite amazing to see how the College has transformed and grown since I attended,” says Jim.

“When I came to St Joseph’s, it was still an all-boys school, Brother Fogarty was the Principal, Peter Kenny was the Deputy Principal, and I was taught by Mr Allen. My memories of that time include wearing the classic purple tracksuits with gold piping and playing rugby union. I think I played in an Under 15 side, and I was twelve at the time so that was a pretty steep learning curve, but it was a wonderful way to build bonds and memories.”

“The Christian brothers had a strong influence, both in terms of running the school and teaching in it as well. I was very quickly immersed in the Edmund Rice Charism. The relationships which were built between students and staff was really something I think that had an impact on me at the time too.”

Caption: Jim in Year 7 in 1981 and in Year 8 in ’82 at St Joseph’s College.

“I remember the many ways the students had to experience and work in social justice. That was really a key lesson that I took away from my time at Joey’s from the Christian Brothers and the staff and that stems straight from Edmund Rice who was passionate about reaching out to people and using education as a transformative tool for people.”

“So, returning here, it is very heartwarming to see those traditions and key lessons continuing to be taught to this generation. It is fantastic to see how Joey’s now provides that educational experience from Year 7 to 12 for both boys and girls and does that very well in its own right. The school has such a respected and renowned reputation within not only the Toowoomba community but the Darling Downs community as well.”

With his most recent position as the Principal of St John’s School in Roma, Jim has 32 years of experience working within Education across Queensland.

Now taking over the helm at St Joseph’s, Jim has found working within the Catholic Education system to be an enriching experience.

“Professionally, it is one of the best decisions I have made,” he says.

“With this role, it was one of those doors that I did not know was going to open but did. That previous experience of being at St Joseph’s College resonated with me when I revisited what was happening in the College, and I saw the work that was happening in terms of social justice and service activities. I also noted that St Joseph’s is certainly moving into the cutting edge of how they teach and how staff are professionally developed – it was certainly very enticing.”

“I do not take lightly for one moment the responsibility that is placed upon me to steer this ship.”

“I am very cognizant of the work that has been done by many people, students, staff, and previous Principals, and what needs to be done to continue the school’s trajectory.”

A new era for St Joseph’s

Caption: Jim says one his priorities as Principal is building positive relationships with the students, parents, and staff.

Over the last few weeks, Jim has been immersing himself in the College Community, getting to know the students, parents, and staff.

Jim’s vision for his principalship at St Joseph’s College is to continue the well-established culture of the College and the high standards set by its staff and students.

“As a Principal, I want to see that every young person, whilst they are improving, is not satisfied with just passing. We want to maximise the full potential of our young people,” says Jim.

“There are two things in my experience that underpin high-performing schools, and that’s high standards and positive relationships,” says Jim.

“The high standards are about being the best that you can be,” he continues. “It is not about everybody getting A’s, but setting a high standard of applying yourself, how you treat other people, how you are participating, and that you are giving your very best. I know that sits very well within the St Joseph’s College mantra and in the Joey’s Way.”

“I think in a schooling environment, particularly when we are growing young men and women, it is vitally important that we nurture, maintain, and encourage positive relationships. If students are going to make a good, positive contribution to their communities when they leave school, they must learn to do those things within the school community first.”

“On a personal level, it is important to me to be engaged and involved in our learning community, and work alongside our staff to ensure we develop young people who are numerate, literate and socially-emotionally intelligent. The school is in a strong position in this regard.

I also want to continue developing my own faith journey. I think if you are leading a faith-based organisation like St Joseph’s College, then it is important that I continue to invest in this area.”

In recent years, St Joseph’s College has achieved great advancements, driven by its dedicated Senior Leadership Team and staff to meet the Towards 2024 Strategic Plan. So not only has Jim inherited a school that is striving for excellence across all areas of the school, but also a school undergoing a major building project. On Jim’s arrival at the College, Phase 1 of this project is nearing completion, while the work for Phase 2 has just begun which consists of three science classrooms, a prep lab, nine general classrooms, several multipurpose spaces, four offices, a senior student lounge, a gym and bathroom facilities.

“If you want good learning to occur, then you need to put young people in quality surroundings, and the Mary Rice extension is a great example of that,” says Jim.

The journey to Principal at SJC

Jim’s diverse career in Education has taken him across the state with positions in Glenden, Emerald, Roma, Oakey, and Toowoomba.

He has taught in P-12 settings as well as primary and secondary schools. Throughout his career, he has been highly regarded as a passionate and exceptional teacher. He was Educational Advisor for Science and Health and Physical Education in the Emerald District Office where he supported teachers in schools with their planning and assessments. He has been Head of Department – Science, at Roma Middle School, Oakey State High School, and Centenary Heights State High School. Jim was also Deputy Principal at Centenary Heights State High School from 2015-2019.

Jim was appointed as State Panel Chair, Biology, for Queensland from 2013 to 2019. This appointment is a testament to the very high regard he is held in as an educator across the state. Jim obtained his Bachelor of Applied Science and Graduate Diploma of Secondary Teaching at the University of Southern Queensland. He is currently enrolled in the Master of Educational Leadership program at the Australian Catholic University.

Jim says his proudest moment as a principal so far was seeing the growth of St John’s School in Roma, and the positioning of St John’s as a school of choice in the Maranoa.

He oversaw the growth of the school from 720 to approximately 850 students. During this time, the school also saw growth of facilities in the secondary phase of schooling and the recent commencement of construction for a new recreational and sporting precinct.

Academically, St John’s students have been able to demonstrate 100% QCE attainment in the last two years, with students realising career achievement in both industry and tertiary pursuits.

Under Jim’s considerable expertise and guidance, the future of St Joseph’s College continues to burn brightly, and the College looks forward to nurturing this partnership in the coming years.

This article appeared in the March 2024 issue of Horizons.