This year we have increased our parent representatives and have recently inducted four new members to join as delegates on the CSPV council. We have also co-opted a member onto the council to represent secondary school leadership and to provide his parent perspective.

Meet our new CSPV Members

Let's hear from our new Parent Member Delegates about their experiences being engaged in Catholic Community and why they chose to join CSPV:

Drew Parkinson - CSPV Parent Member Delegate for Melbourne

Drew has been a member of the school board of St Aloysius College, North Melbourne for the past five years with his youngest daughter (one of four children) in year eleven at the school.

He has a keen interest in being able to actively support the current CSPV campaigns and help define 2022 campaigns and activities being undertaken. He has a strong focus on community values and how we can jointly work together to support education and community initiatives.

In these ever changing times it is also important that we provide continued support for all school staff and students and being part of CSPV helps contribute to and share these learnings.

Matthew Williams - CSPV Co-opted member

Matthew is the Vice Principal of Padua College, Mission, Identity and Community on the Mornington Peninsula. He has many years experience working in various secondary schools in Tasmania and Victoria and has a passion for supporting families and students. Matthew is on the School Advisory Council at St Macartan's Primary School where his three primary school aged children attend.

He is very enthusiastic about being a part of CSPV to contribute secondary school voice and his parent perspective to the forums we provide. 

Yvette Mohan - CSPV Parent Member Delegate for Melbourne

Getting to know the staff and taking part in meetings has opened up my knowledge of what I can expect from the school for my children’s academic achievements.

I have also gained comfort in knowing that the Catholic values are being taught in school and that I can approach the school with concerns and suggestions without any fear.

I have volunteered to take up a position with CSPV since I feel that I will be able to add value to what the organisation aims to achieve.

It is a platform for me as a parent to be able to bring ideas, suggestions and take back to my community what I learn and know from my interactions with other members.

I believe that unless we work together for a common goal – we will not be able to achieve it. 

Bernard Lewis - CSPV Parent Member Delegate for Melbourne

As a father of three children who have attended both primary and secondary Catholic schools I have had the opportunity to become very familiar with the community life within schools whether it has been volunteering at sports days, preparing for open days, gardening, working bees etc. These experiences have always been very enjoyable. Working with and enjoying the company of other parents involved has especially been a great plus.

Several years ago I joined the Parents & Friends Committee at my youngest daughter's Secondary College, St Ignatious College, Drysdale.  This in turn lead to becoming the Parents & Friends Committee representative on the school board. This experience has provided me with a deep insight into how Catholic schools are managed and the hard work that principals, administrators and teaching staff put into their vocation. This experience has now led me to join Catholic School Parents Victoria.

Matt Shanahan - CSPV Parent Member Delegate for Sandhurst

I was previously the chair of the School Board at St Liborius Primary School where our two older kids went to primary school, but we now have all three kids at Marist College Bendigo in years 1, 8 and 10 and I've recently become the Chair of the school's Parent Partnership approach.

My interest in being involved with each schools parent groups stemmed from some research I read describing the benefits to a child's education when their parents are involved in their schooling, and while it has helped deliver this, it's also enabled me to be more involved in our local communities and mix with a great range of people.

A highlight has definitely been the opportunity to travel to Santa Fe in America with a range of other Sandhurst parents, teachers and education professionals, which was an extremely rewarding and educational experience.

Farewell to Gary Coy - CSPV Parent Member Delegate for Melbourne

We bid farewell to Gary Coy who, as a volunteer parent member delegate since 2018, has supported the work of CSPV and contributed in a number of ways to the council growth.

As a committed parent member delegate, then as a Deputy Chair, Gary was able to learn about what is happening in education at a system and state level. His role in his children's school was to contribute to the Parish Education Board and he was instrumental in forming a parent support group at John Paul College, Frankston. We wish Gary all the best and are grateful for his commitment as a volunteer for CSPV.

CSPV Parent Representatives - Are your parents represented?

Over several months CSPV has increased parent representatives from across Victoria. We are aiming to increase parent representatives so that we have one parent contact in every school. If you're not sure if your school is represented, ask your principal if they have nominated a parent. We will soon have a list of schools who are represented on our website so keep an eye on the website for this information.