Stephen Lucardie
Kathleen MATTHEWS-WARD (Broadmeadows) (10:01): Today I rise to pay tribute to Mr Stephen Lucardie, a wonderful local principal who is retiring at the end of the year after 30 years of service at Corpus Christi Primary and 42 years of dedicating his life to the teaching of our children – an incredible contribution. Having attended Corpus Christi as a child, I was fortunate to be able to send my daughters there, and amazingly the school uniform has hardly changed since I and former Premier Daniel Andrews went to school there in the 1980s. Stephen is the most humble and compassionate leader, beloved by both staff and the students. It has been a pleasure to work closely with him over the last decade. I have heard so many stories of him showing great personal empathy and incredible generosity to families facing hard times, including many new arrivals. He has changed so many lives for the better through his kindness, and his compassion radiated down through the whole school. Under his leadership Corpus Christi was one of the most inclusive and caring schools in Victoria. The curriculum not just focuses on academic results but also values generosity, gratitude, kindness and resilience. The cool school rules are all about kindness and respect, and I am so grateful to have such a wonderful school for my children and for the families of Glenroy. Thank you, Mr Lucardie, for your years of humble service, your compassion at all times, your kind leadership and all that you have given the children, staff and parish of Corpus Christi.