The School Board and Cooerwull Committee was pleased to honour long-serving Teaching and Professional Staff, as well as many dedicated volunteers of our School Associations, at the 2025 Cooerwull Service Awards held in February.

These individuals were recognised for their valuable contributions to the School, highlighting our ongoing commitment to maintaining enduring connections both now and in the future.

5 Years of Service

• Poppy Gerakas
• Jenny Sonneman
• Peter Mein
• Gina Gataveckaite
• Cath Gordon
• Zelema Levy

10 Years of Service

• Rick Tudor OAM
• Gen Cartwright
• Melanie Dow
• Jarrod Guiney

15 Years of Service

• Anthony Bradstreet
• Maree Breekveldt
• Mary Davies

20 Years of Service

• Maria Anker
• Hamish Patterson

25 Years of Service

• Deryck Greenwood
• Karen Hale
• Bianca Hyde
• Helen Moore
• Heather Pisani

30 Years of Service

Helen West

40 Years of Service

Jan Leather

Vale Mary Connellan

The Ivanhoe Girls’ community mourns the loss of dear friend and colleague, Mary Connellan.

Mary enjoyed a long association with Ivanhoe Girls’, beginning in 1972 when she joined the School as a Maths and Science teacher, becoming Science Coordinator from 1973-1976.

In 1976, Mary left Ivanhoe Girls’ to have her first child, before returning in 1994 as the Head of Library - a role she held for 15 years until 2009.

After retiring in 2013, Mary returned to Ivanhoe Girls’ as School Archivist and continued in this role until 2021.

In 2019 she received a Cooerwull Service Award for her 30 years of service to the School.

Mary had an abiding love for the School and a profound knowledge of its history and community. She developed deep friendships with her colleagues that spanned decades.

Mary had a wise and generous spirit, a sparkling intelligence, a wonderful sense of humour and was a joy to work with. Mary will be very sadly missed.