What is the School Advisory Council (SAC)?
The School Advisory Council will advise the Principal on important matters and be a support to the Principal and Leadership of the school in their decision making process. In many ways we have emphasised the importance of parents and guardians being involved in partnering with the school and the way this helps your children in their education.
These are just some of the ways a School Advisory Council can give advice to the Principal and Leadership in the school – there are many other areas as well:
- Strategic direction of the school
- The Religious Education program
- Curriculum
- Enrolments and enrolment policy
- School resources
- Improvements in the school
- Annual Report to the school community
- Family partnerships
If you would like more information about MACS School Advisory Councils please refer to the following link: https://governance.melbourne/sac-faq/.
Members of the School Advisory Council
Chairperson
Claudia Barriga
Joined as a Council member in 2022.
My name is Claudia Barriga and I have two children at Holy Trinity; Samuel in Grade 3 and Nicolas in Grade 5. I work in the field of Nursing Education.
I wanted to join the SAC as I have a strong sense of community, I care very much how our children thrive and how we create a safe environment where they can be their best. Having 5 children, I have been involved in school advisory committees in the past and have found it rewarding to be able to contribute to community development at school level and contribute to discussions around supporting our children to learn.
A little about me is that I was born in Chile and migrated with my family when I was 5 years old. Cultural safety and belonging is really important to me and my family. We moved to Sunbury almost 7 years ago, we love living in this great community, we are heavily involved with our local soccer team that takes up most of our spare time. Aside from that you’ll find me in the garden, at a local market or in our kitchen cooking with all my children.
Secretary
Liam McAleer
Joined as a Council member in 2022.
My name is Liam McAleer and I have a child, Henry, in Grade 1. I work for the Victorian Government in media and communications. Prior to this I worked in local government, and was also a newspaper editor and journalist for many years.
When I was growing up there wasn’t a lot opportunities for my parents to become involved with my school, which is why when I heard about the SAC I jumped at the opportunity to join. I think it’s fantastic that parents have a voice and have the opportunity to work closely with the school’s leaders to help create an environment that’s going to get the best out of our children.
My wife Tansy and I have lived in Sunbury for just over 10 years, after moving from country Victoria. Our son Henry is in Grade 1 and our daughter Poppy will be starting Prep in 2024. As a family we love getting out into nature, heading to the footy, or spending time at the river or beach. Tansy also runs a small homewares business in Sunbury, which keeps us busy. We are relatively new to the Holy Trinity community but have really enjoyed everything so far. If you see me around the yard at drop-off or pick-up times and have something you think the SAC could help with, please come and say Hi.
Council Members
Dan Barr
Joined as a Council member in 2022.
Hello and Womindjeka! My name is Dan. I’m a scientist and I work at RMIT in research ethics and integrity. We built a new home and moved to Sunbury in 2019. Our kids Philippa (Grade 3) and Lachlan (Prep) love going to school. As a member of the SAC, I hope to help with the development of our growing school community.
Sara Ojiambo
Joined as a Council member in 2022.
My name is Sara. We joined Holy Trinity in the second half of the foundation year in 2019. I have two children who both attend the school (Yr2 and Yr4). It has been such a joy to watch the school community grow over the last 5 yr. As a result, I wanted to be a part of that growth for all the families present and future.I hope that my role within the School Advisory Committee will help strengthen the community’s understanding of the school’s vision and mission and MACS’ ethos. Please free to reach out should you have any questions about the role we serve on the committee.
Tara Day
Joined as a Council member in 2022.
My name is Tara and I have my titles, the ones most dearest to me are the ones associated with my family; wife, mother, daughter. My son currently attends Holy Trinity and my daughter will commence Prep next year. This is my second year of volunteering as a member of the School Advisory Council at Holy Trinity.
I am an advocate for my children and believe a small village is required throughout their childhood years. All aligned to the same agenda; to provide guidance and support to ensure they grow into the young adults whom they desire to be. Being a member of SAC is my opportunity to support the community who is nurturing my child’s (soon to be children) education.
My professional career is within the freight forwarding industry, which commenced over 15 years ago. Commencing as an operator to my current role within HR and compliance. Outside of work commitments, I take every opportunity to spend quality time with my family.
Matthew Taylor
Joined as a Council member in 2023.
My name is Matthew Taylor and I have a child, Matilda, in Prep. I currently work in Primary Education.
As an educator myself, I have seen how valuable parent voice can be to a school and I know that without parent support, many functions of the school cannot reach their full potential. I wanted to join the SAC because as a lifetime member of the Sunbury community, I saw what a great community spirit Holy Trinity has already developed and I wanted to help to continue to grow and enrich opportunities for our children to grow as learners and as people in a positive and caring space.
I have lived in Sunbury all of my life and in fact went to the high school across the road in its first years. I am married to Katrina who is a Prep teacher and I have four children, Matilda is number 3 so there is another Prep enrolment in the wings for 2028! I am a leader in a Catholic school in the Western Zone and have been in Catholic education almost my whole life having attended St Anne’s primary as a student and taught in Catholic schools for well over 20 years now. On the weekend, you can often find me just down the road at Langama Park as two of my children play soccer for Sunbury United or in the garden trying to keep one step ahead of the weeds.
Kim Raymond
Joined as a Council member in 2023.
Hi, my name is Kim Raymond and I have a daughter Ivy, who is in Grade 3. I have been working as an Australian Public Servant for over 16 years.
I wanted to join and be part of the School Advisory Council to provide a voice and help shape and support working towards the vision and values of Holy Trinity Primary.
In my spare time I enjoy playing guitar, keeping fit and taking care of all our animals which is a passion I share with my daughter. I also enjoy entertaining and relax doing Lego or watching all things Star Wars.