College Principal:
Janelle Newman
Meet our dynamic and dedicated leader, Janelle, the driving force behind MacKillop Catholic College’s future growth and success. With an impressive thirty-seven years of experience in education, Janelle started her career as a Secondary Math and Science Teacher, working in various high schools around Cairns. She has risen through the ranks, holding various teaching and leadership roles in both Primary and Secondary years. Janelle has a wealth of knowledge and expertise to ensure that our College remains a top-tier Catholic learning environment for all our students.
As the visionary leader of MacKillop Catholic College, Janelle’s ultimate goal is to steer the College towards continued growth and consolidation. She oversees the smooth functioning of the College, managing everything from timetables and staffing to finances and enrolments. Janelle is also responsible for maintaining compliance with education laws, acts, and funding requirements, ensuring that our College meets and exceeds all expectations.
Passion is at the core of Janelle’s educational philosophy. She gains immense joy from witnessing children become excited and engaged in their learning, fostering an environment where students interact confidently and respectfully with their peers. Always curious about the intricacies of education, Janelle constantly seeks to deepen her understanding of learning, making her an invaluable asset to the College community.
Beyond her professional life, Janelle indulges in various creative pursuits. Quilting, embroidery, camping, and gardening provide a much-needed balance to her busy schedule. This multifaceted individual holds an impressive academic background, including a Master of Education majoring in Curriculum and Leadership, a Bachelor of Education with a major in Literacy, a Diploma of Teaching with a focus on Maths and Physics, a Graduate Certificate in Religious Education, and a Certificate IV in Theology.
Janelle embodies the essence of a passionate and experienced leader, committed to creating a vibrant and nurturing educational environment for all students at MacKillop Catholic College. With her visionary approach and diverse skill set, Janelle is poised to lead the College towards a future filled with boundless opportunities for growth and excellence.
Acting Deputy Principal – Primary:
Simone Cahill
Simone Cahill is our Acting Deputy Principal – Primary for the remainder of the year while Caitlin Sheedy is on maternity leave.
Simone was the Primary Leader of Religion at the College and has previously acted in the Deputy Principal role in 2025.
It is a privilege for Simone to take on this role within a community that she has been a part of since 2019. Over this time, she had the opportunity to work alongside our students, staff and families in a variety of ways, and she feels very fortunate to continue this journey in a different capacity.
Simone brings to this important role her strong faith and wealth of educational, organisational and pedagogical knowledge. This is well complemented with her strong work ethic, eagerness to learn and grow and a high level of initiative and integrity. She sees herself as a lifelong learner and prides herself on her ability to work alongside colleagues for the best outcomes for students.
Simone’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Laws, Graduate Diploma of Teaching and Learning and a Graduate Certificate of Catholic Education.
MacKillop is a special place, and she is passionate about ensuring every child feels known, supported and challenged to be their best. Simone values the strong partnerships with our families and looks forward to continuing to build on these in working together to support the growth and wellbeing of our students.
Deputy Principal – Secondary:
Melissa Headridge
Melissa Headridge is the Deputy Principal – Head of Secondary at MacKillop. Melissa brings more than 25 years experience in teaching and education leadership, in a range of curriculum and pastoral roles at schools across the Cairns Diocese and overseas.
To ensure successful educational and wellbeing outcomes for all students, Melissa believes that building collaborative relationships between parents, the community and school is essential.
Melissa came to MacKillop Catholic College from St Mary’s Catholic College where she was the Pastoral Leader.
Melissa’s extensive experience supports her role at MacKillop, in which she contributes to student learning, leadership and management of the College.
Deputy Principal – Identity and Outreach:
Anna Harris
Anna Harris is our Deputy Principal – Identity and Outreach. Anna comes from a strong faith background and has worked in Catholic Education in the Cairns Diocese for the past 15 years. She has held various pastoral, wellbeing, and curriculum-based roles in middle and senior leadership.
Anna came to MacKillop Catholic College from St Andrew’s Catholic College, where she held the position of Assistant Principal – Religious Education in the Middle Years. Anna brings a wealth of knowledge in pastoral and diverse learning practice and programming, and Religious Education. Given her previous experiences, Anna understand the benefits of Catholic, Prep to Year 12 Colleges and is committed to assisting MacKillop Catholic College to grow to its full potential.
Anna is particularly passionate about upskilling young people with the tools to navigate childhood, adolescence and beyond – and creating safe, supportive, and accommodating environments that allow students to truly flourish.
Assistant Principal – Learning and Teaching (Primary):
Jessica Koenig
Jessica Koenig is our Assistant Principal – Learning and Teacher (Primary).
Jessica brings over 20 years of experience in teaching and leadership across Primary Education. She holds a Bachelor of Primary Education with Honours, a Diploma in Early Childhood Education specialising in additional needs, and a Master’s in Educational Leadership.
Jessica is passionate about fostering a Christ-centred learning environment where every student should demonstrate academic growth and achievement as a result of high quality teaching and learning.
As a mother of four children, she values strong partnerships between school, family and community, to nurture the whole child—academically, socially and spiritually.
She looks forward to continuing to uplift school improvement and academic success for all students at MacKillop into the future.
Assistant Principal – Learning and Teacher (Secondary):
Tammy Pickup
Tammy Pickup is our Assistant Principal – Learning and Teaching (Secondary). A strong advocate for inclusive and purposeful learning, she is passionate about fostering learning environments where every student feels supported and challenged to grow. Tammy believes all students are capable of success when high expectations are paired with responsive teaching and strong partnerships between parents, students and the school. Her leadership is grounded in collaboration, reflective practice and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Tammy has worked within the Catholic Education Diocese of Cairns for the past decade, holding a range of curriculum and pedagogy leadership roles at Catholic Education Services and St Mary’s Catholic College. A committed lifelong learner, she has qualifications in Engineering, Secondary Education, Leadership, and Business Analytics.
Assistant Principal – Administration
Rebecca Flockhart
Assistant Principal – Students:
David Christopher
David was born in Cairns and spent his early years on Thursday Island, returning to Cairns during school terms for his secondary education. His family has deep roots in the Torres Strait, with his mother’s family operating several businesses in the area.
David has been an educator for 26 years. In 2005, he expanded his experience by teaching in London, UK, before returning to Australia to work in the Catholic Diocese of Cairns. Over the past 19 years, he has held a range of curriculum and pastoral leadership roles, most recently serving as Vocational Education and Training & Year 12 Pastoral Coordinator and RTO Manager.
He holds a Bachelor of Education from Queensland University of Technology, along with Certificate IV in Fitness and Certificate IV in Training & Assessment.
David has taken on the role of Assistant Principal – Students at MacKillop Catholic College, driven by his passion for student development and his desire to make a meaningful impact. He values the strong sense of community at MacKillop and looks forward to contributing to the school’s culture and student success.
Outside of education, David is a passionate North Queensland Cowboys supporter and enjoys swimming, tennis, rugby, and reef fishing.
Business Manager:
Joanne O’Brien
Joanne has been an accountant for over 25 years, and is a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA).
She is a trained tax specialist with over 15 year experience, before taking up an opportunity with Catholic Education Cairns.
Over the past 7 years Joanne has been working as a support accountant for our head office, and is well accustomed to school and college processes.
She more recently helped with the migration over to our new finance system D365, and trained many other Business Managers and Finance Assistants in the product.
Joanne has 2 teenage children who attend one our Colleges, and she loves the values and inspiration our Catholic College provide our children.
