Meet The Teachers
The wonderful bunch here at Bimbadeen would love to say hello!
Meet Our Teachers
At the top of the list when measuring the quality of a school has to be the quality of the teaching staff. We are beyond fortunate to have a team of teachers truly dedicated to positive outcomes for all children.
Meet our teachers below!
Leadership & Admin | Prep Teachers | Year 1 Teachers | Year 2 Teachers | 3/4 Teachers | Year 5 Teachers | Year 6 Teachers | Specialised Teachers | Support Staff
Leadership & Administration

Adele Gregson
Principal
adele.gregson@education.vic.gov.au
I am incredibly proud to be the Principal and the lead learner of this wonderful school community. It is an absolute privilege to work with our outstanding staff who keep students at the core of all they do. At Bimbadeen, we pride ourselves on building strong, positive relationships with and between families, students and community members. In my spare time I enjoy reading and engaging in academic research, riding my bike and spending time with my family.

Sabrina George
Assistant Principal
sabrina.george@education.vic.gov.au
It is with great pride that I work with the fantastic school community of Bimbadeen Heights Primary School. My role can be quite diverse and varied from day to day. One thing that is constant is to be able to build strong relationships with the wonderful families and dedicated staff to ensure that each Bimbadeen student is given the opportunity to thrive on their individual learning journey.

Adele Gates
Business Manager
adele.gates@education.vic.gov.au
I am the Business Manager at Bimbadeen. I love getting to know the children and families that come to Bimbadeen and being able to help with anything they need

Emma Chandler
Administration
emma.chandler@education.vic.gov.au
I love working in the Bimbadeen Heights school office with such a fantastic administration team. It’s great getting to know all our wonderful students and their

Shelley Canning
Administration
shelley.canning@education.vic.gov.au
The best part of working here at Bimbadeen is being part of this amazing school community, especially working with all the wonderful staff and supporting all the great students in our school. I enjoy helping all families that come into our school and support them in any way I can. I love coming to work each day. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my husband and 3 children. My 3 children have and still do attend Bimbadeen Heights PS. I also love to watch them play sport, and in any spare time I have, I do love to shop.
Foundation Teachers

Kate Wood
Foundation Teacher
kate.wood2@education.vic.gov.au
It is a privilege to work with such a great school community at Bimbadeen. I love watching the new founders mature and develop into independent

Beth Dean
Foundation Teacher (Team Leader)
elizabeth.dean2@education.vic.gov.au
The first years at school are

Liz Nicholson
Foundation Teacher
elizabeth.nicholson@education.vic.gov.au
I am a Foundation teacher at BHPS. I love working in our team to develop enriching learning experiences for our students. Ensuring the classroom is a fun place to be and nurturing the students through our school values is a priority for me. In my spare

Tracey Johansen
Foundation Teacher
tracey.johansen@education.vic.gov.au
I enjoy working with the fantastic staff and children at Bimbadeen. I love teaching and learning and helping children do their best. Outside of

Jacqui Duncan
Foundation Teacher
jacquelyn.duncan@education.vic.gov.au
I am a Foundation teacher at Bimbadeen Heights. I love working with the children and watching them grow and learn throughout the year. When not at school I enjoy spending time with my family,
Grade 1 Teachers

Marty Gill
Grade 1 Teacher (Team Leader)
angad.marty.gill@education.vic.gov.au
I feel so privileged to be a teacher at Bimbadeen Heights and to be part of this amazing community. I love teaching students and seeing how they grow in confidence as nothing beats that smile you see when a student masters something! Outside of school I love spending time with my family, anything to do with basketball or football and catching up with my friends. My door is always open so please drop by and say hello!

Ashleigh Janssen
Grade 1 Teacher
ashleigh.janssen@education.vic.gov.au
I believe that each student in my care is someone else’s whole world and educational success moves beyond what a child can achieve academically. I aspire to offer inclusive, accessible, and equitable learning opportunities to all students at Bimbadeen Heights Primary School, and provide a safe environment that allows students to take responsible risks in their learning, develop personal identity and self-worth, and celebrate diversity. I enjoy spending quality time with my family and friends, crafting and exploring the outdoors.

Joshua Gray
Grade 1 Teacher
joshua.gray2@education.vic.gov.au
I am excited to be joining the community of Bimbadeen Heights Primary School. I am passionate about having a positive impact on my students and developing them into independent, lifelong learners. Outside of school I enjoy playing cricket and supporting my AFL team Sydney Swans. I also love spending time with my family and friends.

Bree King
Grade 1 Teacher & Learning Specialist
bree.king@education.vic.gov.au
I am a Year 1 teacher at Bimbadeen Heights Primary school and enjoy the involvement we have here with the community. I love learning and want to help students to love it too. To see a child be completely enthralled in a concept – curiosity spills over, their excitement becomes contagious, and a lifelong learner is born. When I am not in the classroom, I enjoy being out and about with my family and friends.
Grade 2 Teachers

Sharon Egan
Grade 2 Teacher (Team Leader)
sharon.dellavedova@education.vic.gov.au
I love working in Year 2 at Bimbadeen Heights Primary School. Our supportive staff and wonderful children make coming to school each day a joy. Helping children to become life long learners is what inspires me as a teacher and underpins everything we do in our classroom. Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, reading and pottering in my garden.

Stacy Brookes
Grade 2 Teacher
stacy.brookes@education.vic.gov.au
I love working with the wonderful staff and children at Bimbadeen Heights Primary School. The supportive relationships between staff and parents that we foster helps the children learn, grow and be their best. It is wonderful to see the growth in the Year 2 students throughout a year. They are involved in a day camp experience, Year 2 sport, incursions and excursions. Outside of school I enjoy running my dogs and watching my children play sport.

Kate Troschke
Year 2 Teacher
kate.troschke@education.vic.gov.au
I have been part of the Bimbadeen team for most of my teaching career and have been fortunate to work in a variety of roles. I am looking forward to teaching Year 2, as I love taking on new challenges and modelling life-long learning. My husband and I have 3 little girls who keep us very busy. We love simple things like getting outside to play and learn together.

Katie Borczuch
Year 2 Teacher
katie.borczuch@education.vic.gov.au
I am a passionate teacher who loves watching children grow, learn and achieve. I am thrilled to be a teacher in Year 2 at Bimbadeen Heights Primary School. Our school community has many wonderful, talented and caring people, making this a fantastic place to work. I enjoy being outdoors and finding time to relax on the weekends.
Grade 3/4 Teachers

Tania Maniscalchi
Year 3/4 Teacher
tania.maniscalchi@education.vic.gov.au
I love working in Year 3/4 with such an amazing team and awesome students! We had a great time

Michaela Gray
Grade 3/4 Teacher (Team Leader)
michaela.gray@education.vic.gov.au
I have enjoyed working at Bimbadeen for the past 19 years. I have loved working in many different teams with amazing teachers. Mathematics is a particularly

Michelle Franks
Grade 3/4 Teacher
michelle.franks@education.vic.gov.au
I love working at Bimbadeen Heights Primary. We have a great staff and parent community who support each other and the children. I have taught in

Rebecca Bartlett
Grade 3/4 Teacher
rebecca.bartlett2@education.vic.gov.au
I am excited to be joining the Bimbadeen Heights community and working with the year 3/4 students. I am passionate about wellbeing, forming positive relationships and creating a welcoming and fun classroom where students are excited about learning. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with friends and family, taking my dog on adventures and cheering on Collingwood in the footy.

Melinda Ruscitti
Grade 3/4 Teacher
melinda.ruscitti@education.vic.gov.au
It is a delight to teach at Bimbadeen. I love teaching Year 3/4 as I enjoy helping our students grow, mature and develop into wonderful people who are ready to take on the next challenge in their lives. In my spare

Blair Price
Grade 3/4 Teacher
blair.price@education.vic.gov.au
I am excited to join the Bimbadeen Heights community and to work with the 3/4 students. Over the past three years, I have enjoyed getting to know the students in my class and enjoy having fun with them in the classroom as well as in the yard. When I am not at school, I love spending time with my family, our puppy and my friends, and enjoy checking out new cafes and cooking at home.
Grade 5 Teachers

Virginia Gardner
Grade 5 Teacher (Team Leader)
virginia.gardner@education.vic.gov.au
I love working with the experienced staff and wonderful children at Bimbadeen Heights. There are so many
Outside of

Laura Simkin
Grade 5 Teacher
laura.simkin@education.vic.gov.au
Hello! I have been at BHPS since 2005 and enjoy the friendly and helpful nature of students here. This year I am looking forward to an exciting learning adventure with the delightful children in Year 5. I really enjoy helping my students through their learning journey and seeing them beam with pride when they achieve a new goal. Outside of school I love baking and decorating cakes and watching my children play

Phoebe Ellul
Grade 5 Teacher
phoebe.ellul@education.vic.gov.au
I am overjoyed to be joining the supportive and caring community at Bimbadeen Heights. I am working with Year 5 students this year and can’t wait to embark on an exciting learning journey together. When I am not at school, I enjoy cooking, keeping fit and spending time with friends or family.

Emily Russell
Grade 5 Teacher & Learning Specialist
emily.russell@education.vic.gov.au
I love my job and I strive to create a warm and welcoming classroom where my students are excited to learn. We sing, dance and have lots of fun as I firmly believe in the philosophy that ‘laughing kids learn’. When I am not in the classroom, I enjoy spending time on my farm with all my animals and riding my horse.
Grade 6 Teachers

Jemima Gange
Grade 6 Teacher (Team Leader)
jemima.gange@education.vic.gov.au
I am a Year 6 Teacher at Bimbadeen Heights Primary School. I am very much looking forward to seeing my students mature during the course of the year and I hope to prepare them well for their future

Nathan Percy
Grade 6 Teacher
nathan.percy2@education.vic.gov.au
It comes with great excitement to join the fabulous community of learners at Bimbadeen Heights Primary School. My aim is to challenge students in their learning and help build confidence in their own abilities whilst facilitating a safe, inclusive and caring environment. Outside of school I love playing cricket and basketball, spending time with family and friends and barracking for my AFL team Hawthorn.

Hayley Cook
Grade 6 Teacher
hayley.cook@education.vic.gov.au
I love working at Bimbadeen in my role as a Year 6 teacher. I think we have a great school that promotes
Specialist Teachers

Lynne Burt
Music Teacher (Team Leader)
lynne.burt@education.vic.gov.au
The Music Room is the most wonderful place in the school. It’s a place for children to learn to read and write music. They listen, move, persist, think, create, co-operate, learn from one another, stretch their imaginations, and develop as musicians and as people. There’s nothing like the satisfaction of singing or playing something and “getting it right” together. I love to celebrate with students as they tentatively try something and succeed way beyond their own expectations. Bimbadeen students are amazing at having a go and creating delightful compositions and improvisations.

Natalie Lowe
Music Teacher
natalie.lowe@education.vic.gov.au
I am excited to be returning to Bimbadeen to work with Lynne Burt in teaching music this year. I was previously a classroom teacher for 7 years and taught specialist classes regularly as a relief teacher. There are so many benefits to learning music, including developing language and reasoning and expressing feelings and emotions. I have fond memories of music classes from my childhood and wish the same for our current children. I enjoy spending time with my young girls and husband, gardening, exploring outdoors and Snowsports through winter.

Karin Sansom
Library Technician
karin.sansom@education.vic.gov.au
Bimbadeen holds a very special place in my heart having been associated with the school for over 25 years. The passion, professionalism and camaraderie amongst teachers and parents is exceptional.
In my home life I am a life member of both a local cricket and netball club. On weekends you will usually find me scoring cricket games where I get to watch my husband and two of my three sons play. As my knees can no longer carry me around the netball court I enjoy Aquarobics classes throughout the week and will often be seen walking our golden retriever around Lilydale Lake on Sunday mornings.

Kate Schie
Physical Education Teacher
kate.schie@education.vic.gov.au
I am passionate about encouraging children to be active and develop the skills to be lifelong active people. Seeing students reach their goals and surpass their expectations is so rewarding. Outside of school, I am a keen cricket player and hiker. I also enjoy playing

Sarah Cherry
LOTE Chinese Teacher
sarah.cherry@education.vic.gov.au
It has been wonderful rejoining the Bimbadeen team this year after maternity leave. I have been very touched by the warm welcome back I have received from both students and parents who remember me and it is amazing to see how the Founders – Year 2’s that I remember have grown into big Year 4, 5 and 6 students! I’m looking forward to having lots of fun in our Chinese lessons this year!
At home I love to spend time with my two little girls and write songs in Chinese to help make learning fun.

Cath Buckland
Student Wellbeing & Literacy Intervention Leading Teacher
catherine.buckland@education.vic.gov.au
Working with students and families in my literacy support and wellbeing

Annikka-Rose Smith
Art Teacher
annikka-rose.smith@education.vic.gov.au
I can’t wait to be back at Bimbadeen Heights in my new role as the Art Teacher in 2020. Bimbadeen is such a warm and welcoming school and it is a privilege to be returning after my leave period. When I am not teaching, I spend as much time as I can with my Fiancé and baby girl. We love seeing friends and family as well as travel and trips to the beach.
School Support Staff – School Chaplain

Anne Lawry
School Chaplain
Engaging with the whole school community, staff, students and families, is a rewarding privilege. I am a mum to four adult children, three daughters and one son and Grandma to seven grandchildren. Gardening, photography and craft are pursuits that I enjoy in my spare time.
School Support Staff – Teacher Aides

Leslie Clarke
Integration Aide
leslie.clarke@education.vic.gov.au
I work in Education Support. Thankyou Grade 3/4F for making me feel very welcome in class.
In my spare time, I love catching up with family and friends, bike riding, listening to live bands, playing badminton and table tennis, walking and going on day trips with my family.
I enjoy watching movies and I also love eating Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Indian, Italian, Korean and Japanese food. I especially love eating spicy food and trying new cuisine.

Tracey Price-O'Reilly
Integration Aide
tracey.price-oreilly@education.vic.gov.au
I enjoy working with and supporting children with additional needs and helping them build relationships with their peers. My personal interests include cooking and gardening which also allows me to share my skills and interact with my students in a positive and hands on learning approach.

Mandy Riley
Integration Aide / THRASS
mandy.riley@education.vic.gov.au
I love being part of a team who are dedicated to assisting all children
Watching a student’s confidence and ability grow is always exciting.
Outside of

Elizabeth Downs
Integration Aide
elizabeth.downs@education.vic.gov.au
I am an Integration Aide at Bimbadeen Heights Primary School. I absolutely love working with the children – watching them learn and grow is such a privilege. I couldn’t have wished for a more rewarding job!
In my spare

Joanne Palmer
Integration Aide
jo.palmer2@education.vic.gov.au
I have been fortunate enough to join this welcoming and inclusive school. I was born in England and came to Australia when I was 2, and am now honouring a promise to my mother by becoming an Australian citizen. I have been a beauty therapist for over 20 years and wanted to embark on a challenging and rewarding career change. I have 3 grown children and 3 grandchildren who take up all my spare time. I do love spending time at the beach with my dogs whenever I can.

Jenna Fowler
Integration Aide
jenna.fowler@education.vic.gov.au
I love working at Bimbadeen Heights! I came here as a student and really enjoyed the positive and caring nature all the teachers and students embraced. Coming in to school each day and seeing all the kids smiling faces makes my day! In my spare time I love spending time with my family and friends. Come and say hello to me in the playground.

Stacey Eley
Integration Aide
stacey.eley@education.vic.gov.au
I love working with the wonderful staff and students at Bimbadeen Heights Primary. It is a wonderful and supportive community, that helps include all students and their families, especially the students I work with. Outside of
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