I have been teaching for just over thirty years and have been at 5 different schools – two state schools in Victoria (Heywood and Portland
Secondary College), a Catholic school and two Lutheran schools. For the last 8 years I have been at the lovely St Martins Lutheran College in Mount Gambier. My husband, Dean, and I had been looking to move to more land, the sea, closer to a capital city and with hills and rivers – so you can see Victor Harbor was on our list but we were thinking this would happen in a couple of years not a matter of months!
The job came up at Encounter for a Specialist Mathematics and Chemistry teacher and it was the perfect opportunity we had been looking for. I have been a Mathematics Coordinator, as one of my many leadership jobs, for nearly all my career as I find it easy to promote with passion such a fabulous subject!
I have been a Head of Secondary, a Curriculum Coordinator and a Teaching and Learning Leader. I am very used to acronyms and am learning a new set of them at Encounter! I loved the feel of this school when I came for a visit early last year. It had the warmth and sense of community and positivity that I have enjoyed in my previous school.
Getting this position was just the start of what has been a whirlwind. We sold our house in three weeks and bought a 50 acre farm in Hindmarsh Valley after another 3 weeks. There were banks, real estate agents, packing, removalists, unpacking, changing addresses and finding our way around in a new town. We have had neighbours visit already and are loving the sense of community we are feeling in our new home town.
Apart from Mathematics and Science teaching, I love to horse ride and am quite obsessed about dressage. I have competed extensively to higher levels and have a gorgeous horse called Mick at the moment. I also run three times a week to keep fit and I enjoy yoga once a week as well.
I am hoping to meet more of our school community over the coming months and find out as much about everyone else.