Appointment of New Principal

Dear Members of the Salesian College Chadstone Community,

Following the recommendation of the College Board, the approval of the Salesian Provincial, Fr William Matthews, and the ratification of His Grace, Archbishop Peter Comensoli, I am pleased to announce, on behalf of the Salesian College Board, that Mr Mark Ashmore has been appointed as the next Principal of Salesian College.

At the conclusion of a process of discernment, consultation and selection which has been lengthy and rigorous, the Board is delighted that Mark has accepted the position of Principal and will commence his new appointment at the beginning of Term 4, 2021.

Mark is currently the Deputy Principal – Learning and Teaching at Whitefriars College in Donvale.  He has spent most of his teaching career educating boys in highly regarded Catholic secondary schools in Melbourne since his first teaching experience at Xavier College, Gawler, a school in the Salesian tradition in South Australia.

Fr Matthews, the Provincial, has highlighted Mark’s Salesian connection in the following statement:

I am delighted to approve the appointment of Mr Mark Ashmore as the new Principal of Salesian College Chadstone. I also welcome him back to the Salesian Family as he spent his first year of teaching at Xavier College in Gawler, South Australia over twenty years ago. As a youthful and experienced educator, Mark will bring a new dynamism to all students and staff at Salesian College Chadstone.

Mark has a Bachelor of Education and Graduate Certificate in Catholic Education from the University of South Australia, a Master of Education from the University of Melbourne, a Graduate Certificate in Literacy Intervention from Australian Catholic University, and is currently completing his Master of Business Administration from Australian Catholic University.

I quote from Mark’s recent application for the Principal’s position to provide some insight into the man who will lead Salesian College going forward into the future:

I am inspired by St John Bosco’s spirit of leading young people to know that they are loved. I have learnt that for boys to reach their full potential as good Christians and honest citizens, they need to be supported in a safe and inclusive learning environment where the dignity of each person is nurtured and respected. I have been involved in many initiatives that have supported the spiritual, social, emotional and academic needs of boys.

Mark is married to Jennifer and they have a young daughter named Elsie.

It is evident that Mark will bring a wonderful breadth of knowledge, experience and energy to the position of Principal and will ensure that the College continues to provide our boys with positive, challenging and rewarding school experiences. We are confident in your support of Mark as he takes up his appointment in Term 4, 2021.

In conclusion, I wish to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the members of the Selection Panel, the College Board and the recruitment consultant for their significant contribution to the appointment process.

Yours in St John Bosco,

Fr Greg Chambers sdb
Chair of College Board