Leadership Team
Principal – Dr Michael Blowes
Starting at CBHS Lewisham in 2021, Michael is a highly experienced leader in Catholic education. Before starting with us he was Senior Regional Consultant of Sydney Catholic Schools with oversight of 16 secondary schools. Prior to this he was Principal of St Patrick’s College in Sutherland, Principal at Marist College in Eastwood, Assistant Principal at Marist College in Kogarah, and Assistant Principal at Paramatta Marist High School.
He complements his leadership experience with an impressive academic record. Michael has a Master of Education and Bachelor of Arts, Diploma of Education (Hons.) from the University of New South Wales, and a Graduate Diploma of Religious Education from the Catholic College of Education. He holds a Doctorate in Education from the Australian Catholic University in which he studied secondary school improvement.
Deputy Principal – Mark Woodbury
In his role as Deputy Principal Mark assists the Principal in the overall leadership and management of the school. The Deputy Principal is to assume the role of “Acting Principal” at those times when the Principal is off the school premises. The Deputy Principal, together with the Principal, is responsible for the religious and educational leadership of the school as well as its overall direction in order to provide for effective care and education of the students through facilitation of their spiritual, social, academic and personal development within the resource and funding constraints of the school.
Mark has been a member of the School Leadership Team since 2010 and was previously the Assistant Principal – Primary. Prior to this he was also the Acting Assistant Principal at St Joseph’s Primary School, Enfield. In addition to his Bachelor of Education from the Australian Catholic University, Mark is currently completing a Masters in Education.
AP Identity – Dan Valencic
In his role as Assistant Principal – Identity, Dan is responsible for promoting and developing the identity of the School as a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice tradition. This is achieved through the initiation and facilitation of liturgical, spiritual and formation experiences for students, staff and families as well as supporting Justice and Peace initiatives and the Religious Education Key Learning Area.
Dan joined our community in 2014 as the Religious Education Coordinator and has 25 years of teaching experience in various EREA and LaSallian schools across Sydney. His leadership experience is centred in curriculum; including Visual Arts Coordinator, CAPA Coordinator and as REC at Oakhill College, Castle Hill, before starting at CBHS Lewisham and being appointed AP Identity in 2019. He complements this experience with a Bachelor of Education from the Australian Catholic University in Visual Arts / Religious Education and is currently exploring the Master of Education Leadership course at the ACU.
AP Pastoral – Chris Kidd
In his role of Assistant Principal – Pastoral Care, Chris is responsible for the wellbeing and behaviour of all of CBHS secondary students. He works closely with, and oversees, the Pastoral Team which consists of eight House Pastoral Coordinators and the School Counselling Team. The aim of Chris and the Pastoral Team is to ensure that CBHS provides an environment where all students are known, valued and cared for, and where the staff and students operate within the framework of right and respectful relationships.
Chris has worked with students in different sporting and educational settings for two decades and has been a staff member of CBHS since 2009. He was appointed to the role of Assistant Principal – Pastoral Care in 2019. He complements this experience with his academic record which includes a Bachelor of Teaching/Bachelor of Arts from Australian Catholic University, and a Masters of Education specialising in Educational Wellbeing, from Southern Cross University.
AP Teaching and Learning – Keith Page
In his role as Assistant Principal Teaching and Learning, Keith is responsible for the provision of a quality Catholic education to the students at the School. Keith works with the teaching staff, the KLA Coordinator team, the Diverse Learning Centre and the Waterford Learning Centre to ensure that all students are provided with an education that challenges them at their own level of ability.
Keith joined the School in 2015 as the KLA Coordinator responsible for leading teaching and learning in History and Geography. Working in the Assistant Principal – Teaching and Learning role since 2018, Keith complements his leadership experience with a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Teaching from the University of Sydney, in addition to a Master of Education (Leadership) from Charles Sturt University.
AP Culture and Organisation – Michael Behayi
In his role as Assistant Principal Organisation and Culture, Michael is responsible for the effective management of the school from a planning and operational perspective. He is responsible for the daily administration and organization of the school. His responsibilities include the pastoral communication amongst staff, students and the school community. Michael oversees the development and implementation of the school timetable. He works closely with the casual relief staff of the school, engaging in forward planning and identifying staffing needs in order to facilitate a more positive school community.
Michael complements his leadership experience with a sound academic record including a Bachelor of Engineering with honours from Sydney University; an Associate Diploma in Applied Science and a Diploma of Teaching from UNSW. He has extensive experience as a Mechanical Engineer providing a valuable perspective on industry in boy’s education. He has extensive experience as a Year Coordinator, a subject Coordinator (Mathematics) as well as Administration Coordinator.
Director of Pedagogy – Natalie Devenish
In her role as Director of Pedagogy, Natalie is responsible for embedding a progressing teaching and learning program to continue to raise student achievement and ensure quality teaching and learning practices across our school. She works closely with other leaders and staff to build a culture of continuous learning that fosters excellence in teaching practices.
Natalie has been a teacher and leader in Catholic schools for over two decades. Prior to joining our community, Natalie has worked as an Assistant Principal, Leader of Pedagogy and Innovation, Leader of Curriculum, Leader of Diverse Learning and Pastoral Care. She has a well-developed understanding of curriculum and frameworks for learning including evidence based pedagogical practices and inspiring and leading change. Natalie complements her experience with an impressive academic record including a Masters of Education – Educational Psychology from the University of NSW, Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Graduate Diploma in Religious Education from Australian Catholic University, and a Bachelor of Education from Charles Sturt University.
Business Manager – Darren Perry
In his role as Business Manager Darren is responsible for the effective management of School Operations from a business perspective by implementing and running projects to continually evolve CBHS Lewisham. His role assists in the formulation of strategic initiatives for the school, conducting feasibility studies and preparing impact scenarios of proposed changes from a financial perspective.
Darren has extensive experience in Accountancy having previously held the role of Accountant for the National Disability Service, and before that as Management Accountant and Assistant Accountant in a variety of industries and institutions since 2011. Darren complements his experience with sound qualifications being a Certified Practicing Accountant (CPA) and having completed a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting & Business Law) from the University of Wollongong.
Director of Human Resources – Ann-Marie Banno
In her role as Human Resources Manager Ann-Marie is responsible for leading the development and delivery of the School’s strategic and operational human resources function. Her role ensures that CBHS Lewisham is able to attract, retain, motivate and develop our talented workforce.
Ann-Marie has over ten years’ experience in Catholic education, having previously worked across a number of roles at Sydney Catholic Schools, providing support to schools across the Sydney Archdiocese in the areas of employment services, industrial relations, recruitment, child protection, change management, workplace investigations, and staff wellbeing. Ann-Marie has also worked in similar roles in government and private enterprise. Ann-Marie complements her experience with a Bachelor of Economics (Social Sciences) from the University of Sydney.