Meet The Educators

We’re excited to meet you!

Meet Our Educators

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 educators truly dedicated to positive outcomes for all children.

Meet our educators below!

Leadership & Administration

Armando Gagliardi

Armando Gagliardi

Principal

As Principal I feel humbled and privileged to be leading our school community.  The spirit and energy that exists within our community is felt by all.  I enjoy chatting with everyone, especially in the mornings as children enter the school.
Such a beautiful community is Deer Park!

Luisa Parissis

Luisa Parissis

Deputy Principal

I feel very privileged to be the Deputy Principal of St. Peter Chanel School. I love to build relationships with students, staff, and families. I also enjoy supporting educators to plan the teaching and learning opportunities for our students.

Outside of school I love being with family and friends and spending time at the beach.

 

Ruth Staniscia

Ruth Staniscia

Teaching and Learning

I feel privileged to be able to grow as an educator at St Peter Chanel. My role allows me to work alongside passionate teachers to develop learning opportunites that are impactful to all students.  I have two beautiful daughters and enjoy singing, crafting and spending time with my family.

Samantha O'Dwyer

Samantha O'Dwyer

Religious Education

Katie Ash

Katie Ash

Mental Health & Wellbeing

I am the Mental Health & Wellbeing Leader at St Peter Chanel.  Part of my role is supporting student’s Social Emotional Learning and facilitating the Peaceful Kids program.  My hope as Wellbeing Leader, is to teach children the life skills they need, in order to achieve optimum wellbeing.

Outside of work, I love to travel Australia with my husband and three boys.

Adelina Elzeine

Adelina Elzeine

Literacy Prep - Yr 3

I am fortunate to work alongside and support a dedicated staff, and amazing students, in all things Literacy related. The best part of the day is teaching my Literacy intervention students.

Outside of school, I’m a proud mum to two amazing children and one fur-baby! I love reading and shopping.

Charmaine Pannell

Charmaine Pannell

Literacy Yr 4 - 6

I am fortunate to be working alongside motivated educators to support the literacy development of the students at St Peter Chanel. I believe literacy acquisition opens doors to endless possibilities for our students.

Outside of school I enjoy travelling with my husband and two girls and spending as much time at the beach as possible.

Jenna Broadhurst

Jenna Broadhurst

Mathematics Prep - Yr 3

Hi, I’m Jenna.  I’m part of the SPC family supporting enthusiasm in learning and student individuality.
I hope to encourage all students to think outside the box and believe that anything is possible.

Simon Lafranchi

Simon Lafranchi

Mathematics Yr 4 - 6

Hi, I’m Simon. It is a privilege to be able to spend each day with the students, families and staff of the St Peter Chanel community. I greatly value these relationships and strongly believe in providing our students with the opportunities they need to reach their full potential in all areas of their life. Other passions of mine include spending time with my family, playing football and watching sport.

Mariana Stanisic

Mariana Stanisic

Learning Diversity

It has been my privilege to be a part of the St Peter Chanel community for many years. Supporting students to develop their skills is a passion of mine.  I am incredibly fortunate as I see the children experience growth and success.  

Suzanne Goessler Barnes

Suzanne Goessler Barnes

Family Partnerships

Hi I’m Suzie.  I promote the engagement of families in the school community and their children’s learning.  I also work with new arrival students who need extra support developing their literacy skills.  Working at St. Peter Chanel School is very rewarding and I feel privileged to be part of this inclusive community.

Denise Shead

Denise Shead

Business Manager

I have been a part of St. Peter Chanel School Administration Team since 2010 and enjoy every moment. I find working in the office to be a very rewarding experience as I get to meet the students and their families. I feel privileged to be part of the St. Peter Chanel community.

Louise Carayannopoulos

Louise Carayannopoulos

School Operations

My name is Louise and I work in the administration team. I started working at SPC in 2000.
I enjoy arts and craft and cooking for the family.  I love spending time with my family and friends.

Maryanne Said

Maryanne Said

Administration & Reception

I love working at an inclusive school.
Everyone at St Peter Chanel is friendly and welcoming. It is great seeing all the children’s’ smiling faces each day.

Outside of school I love spending time with my family.

 

Rose Piazzese

Rose Piazzese

Administration & Reception

I enjoy working at St Peter Chanel School and being part of a great community. I am part of the Office Administration Team. I enjoy working in the front office and meeting all the families.

 

Nancy Bacarella

Nancy Bacarella

Administration & Reception

Hi I’m Nancy.  I am part of the Office Administration Team. 

 

Lucy Micallef

Lucy Micallef

School Nurse

Hi, I’m Lucy and I’m the school nurse. I feel so privileged to be working in a school that is so welcoming. I love providing care, having little chats and getting to know all the students. The kids are amazing and put a smile on my face every single day. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking and being with my family.

Prep Educators

Brooke Geisler

Brooke Geisler

Prep/Foundation Educator

Tegan Lafranchi

Tegan Lafranchi

Prep/Foundation Educator

St. Peter Chanel is such a friendly and welcoming community! I love being able to support and guide students in the beginning of their schooling journey. Outside of work, I love sport and spending time with my cat Benny, and my family and friends – especially watching the mighty Bombers!

Denise Mayor

Denise Mayor

Prep/Foundation Educator

Year 1/2 Educators

Samantha Grima

Samantha Grima

Yr 1 Educator

Hello! I’m Samantha. I feel very fortunate to be a part of such a nurturing and positive learning environment and welcoming school community. I am currently a year one teacher but have taught many year levels throughout my time in primary education. It is a privilege to influence the development of growing minds and foster a love of learning in the students at SPC.

Delia Micallef

Delia Micallef

Yr 1 Educator

I’m Delia, a Grade 1 teacher who is passionate about student equity. I work alongside an incredible group of professionals to develop and foster positive relationships with students as a basis for effective teaching and learning. Outside of work I love cooking and spending time with my family.

Melissa Vona

Melissa Vona

Yr 1 Educator

I love being part of the St Peter Chanel family and have been for many years. It is a privilege being a part of a child’s school journey and teaching allows me to foster in a child a love of learning.  Yr 1 is a great year. We have so much fun!

Jessica K

Jessica K

Yr 2 Educator

I promote a culture of curiosity by empowering my students to be academic risk takers. I encourage student voice and a love for learning. Nurturing relationships through trust, respect and care is paramount. Beyond school, I love spending time with my family and friends, travelling and supporting the Western Bulldogs.

Hannah Le

Hannah Le

Yr 2 Educator

Elizabeth McDermott

Elizabeth McDermott

Yr 2 Educator

I love developing the minds of young learners and enjoy collaborating with the SPC community. I endeavor to provide my students with an inclusive, rich and engaging learning environment. Outside of school I enjoy spending time with my friends and family and travelling the world.

Year 3/4 Educators

Chantal Alocilla

Chantal Alocilla

Yr 3 Educator

I am grateful to be a part of a school community that dedicates to build strong relationship between students, families and staff to grow and empower young minds. I aim to create an inclusive environment, where each student’s diversity and capabilities are highlighted, encouraged and supported. Outside of school, I like to enjoy spending time with my loved ones and having a night in playing board games.

Briana Bortolotto

Briana Bortolotto

Yr 3 Educator

Hello, my name is Briana, and I am very excited to be a part of the wonderful St Peter Chanel community and join the Year 3 team. During the weekends, I like to spend time with my family and friends, seeing new places or going to the footy to support the Magpies!

Amanda Davey

Amanda Davey

Yr 3 Educator

It is a pleasure to work everyday in this warm and welcoming community. I believe that the strong connections made between students, teachers and families support the growth in our children’s learning and wellbeing. I enjoy spending time with my family, travelling, bike riding and being outdoors.

Stephanie Mammoliti

Stephanie Mammoliti

Yr 4 Educator

Being a part of the St Peter Chanel community is always welcoming. It is a real joy to watch the students at SPC develop their growth mindset and work collaboratively to achieve a common goal. Going on new adventures with my family is one of my favourite things to do outside of school.

Christine Nguyen

Christine Nguyen

Yr 4 Educator

As someone who cares deeply for early learning, I am privileged to be able to inspire the children everyday by instilling their love of learning and igniting their imagination. By making learning fun and engaging, the students are able to build the foundation to excel in their years of education.

I am a mother of two beautiful daughters who enjoys spending quality time with family and friends.

Claudia Ruberto

Claudia Ruberto

Yr 4 Educator

St. Peter Chanel is a very welcoming and supportive school community. Watching my students grow and learn within the school is very rewarding. Outside of school I enjoy spending time with my family and visiting new places.

Year 5/6 Educators

Lexie Cannolo

Lexie Cannolo

Yr 5 Educator

I absolutely love having the opportunity to be a part of the SPC family. It is a privilege to work with our seniors and their families. It is amazing to watch the children mature and learn together.

Michelle Young

Michelle Young

Yr 5 Educator

Hi, I’m Michelle! It is a privilege to be a part of the SPC community and to work in such a vibrant and welcoming community. My aim as an educator is to meet the needs of all of my students, through helping them to be successful and challenging them to achieve their full potential.

Janelle Eskandar

Janelle Eskandar

Yr 5 Educator / Visual Arts

I love teaching at St Peter Chanel and I feel very fortunate to be part of a positive school community with such creative students.  I have been a teacher in primary education for many years in a variety of roles.  In my spare time I enjoy going on adventures with my family.

Bianca Zammit

Bianca Zammit

Yr 5 Educator

At SPC, the staff, students and families play a major role in our welcoming and supportive community. The most rewarding and enjoyable moments as a teacher, is to watch the students develop their growth mindset and experience those ‘light bulb’ moments. I enjoy travelling with my family and friends.

 

Jessica Canham

Jessica Canham

Yr 6 Educator

It’s a privilege to be part of the St Peter Chanel community. I value building relationships, student wellbeing and teaching from a holistic approach. I aim to empower students to take risks and promote student voice. I love spending time with loved ones, supporting the Western Bulldogs and day trips.

Tien Tran

Tien Tran

Yr 6 Educator

Sheri Whillas

Sheri Whillas

Yr 6 Educator

Specialised Educators

Rachael Mifsud-Dykun

Rachael Mifsud-Dykun

Student Wellbeing

In my role I am fortunate to be able to conduct intervention groups to support students with their social and emotional wellbeing and their ability to engage in respectful relationships. Outside of school I enjoy taking on new adventures with my husband and our three beautiful boys.

Luisa Rubino

Luisa Rubino

Wellbeing Educator

It is a privilege to work with the children and their families in our SPC community. I enjoy providing opportunities for students to develop their love of learning and to build their independence and resilience. I love spending time with my family and friends, travelling and creating wonderful memories.

Stephanie Gleeson

Stephanie Gleeson

Religious Education

I consider myself extremely fortunate to lead such a vibrant Catholic community. We are guided by our school motto to ‘Love One Another’ and live by our Catholic identity to be the head, heart and hands of Christ in our world. 

In my spare time I enjoy catching up with friends and spending time with my family.

Jonathon Shein

Jonathon Shein

Physical Education

Hi my name is Jonathon Shein and I am the PE teacher at St Peter Chanel Primary School.
I teach all year levels.  I am passionate about sport and enjoy teaching the students skills, healthy choices and enjoyment through sport and physical activity.
Outside of work I enjoy playing golf.

Kristy Mussel

Kristy Mussel

Health & Physical Education

Joanne Paladino Scalise

Joanne Paladino Scalise

Performing Arts

My name is Joanne. I have the wonderful job of building confidence and self-esteem skills through Performing Arts. In my spare time, I enjoy long walks with my dog and family! I also sing at functions and events around Melbourne.

Janelle Eskandar

Janelle Eskandar

Visual Arts / Yr 5 Educator

I love teaching at St Peter Chanel and I feel very fortunate to be part of a positive school community with such creative students. I have been a teacher in primary education for many years and am now enjoying specialising in Visual Arts. In my spare time I enjoy going on adventures with my family.

Michael Sullivan

Michael Sullivan

STEM & Maths Intervention

My aim is to support students in becoming lifelong learners. I encourage students to show respect and kindness for each other and for themselves. I believe students learn best when they feel happy, safe and welcomed and I strive to bring a sense of belonging to my classroom each day. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends and supporting the mighty Bombers! 

Trish Gagliardi

Trish Gagliardi

Digital Technology Prep - 2 / Classroom Support

Hi I’m Trish! I work mainly with our junior school students. They help keep me balanced and bring a smile to my face everyday. I feel humbled to help foster a sense of belonging and a love for learning amongst our junior students.

Gracie Polidano

Gracie Polidano

Digital Media & Compliance / Digital Technology Yr 3 - 6

Hi, I’m Gracie. I work alongside amazing educators in an inclusive and supportive school community.  In my role I am able to work with staff and students to expand their knowledge and skills with digital technologies and media, and ensure our school has all the necessary policies and practices in place to operate safely.  Personally, I love getting creative, being outdoors and spending time with my family.

Vy Nguyen

Vy Nguyen

Japanese (LOTE)

Konnichiwa,

My name is Vy Nguyen, and I am the Japanese teacher at St Peter Chanel School. I am a positive person who has an enthusiastic outlook on life. Teaching languages is my life’s passion, and I get a great sense of achievement from seeing my students develop and grow.

Sarah Spiteri

Sarah Spiteri

New Arrivals Educator

Samantha Hackney

Samantha Hackney

Learning Diversity

Hello I’m Samantha.  I believe that education creates amazing opportunities for students to investigate and explore what truly inspires them. I feel privileged to be in this role and work within a supportive and positive school environment.

Bern Lane

Bern Lane

Learning Diversity Consultant

Hi, I’m Bern and I support the Learning Diversity program at St Peter Chanel.

Maurice Sullivan

Maurice Sullivan

Technology Administrator

Hi, I’m Maurie and currently I work as the Technology Administrator for the school.

Support Staff

Michelle Formosa

Michelle Formosa

Learning Support

Hi, I’m Michelle and I am a Learning Support Officer. I greatly enjoy being able to support and guide students to achieve their personal best, their goals big or small. I enjoy being outdoors and spending time with my husband and our three children.

Leah Madigan

Leah Madigan

Learning Support

Hi, I’m Leah and I am a Learning Support Officer. 

Gloria Lucas

Gloria Lucas

Learning Support

I love working as a Learning Support Officer (LSO) as it is a very rewarding career. It is wonderful to work with the children and support them in achieving all that they are capable of. In my spare time I love to spend time with my three children and I enjoy making miniatures.

Suzi D'Amico

Suzi D'Amico

Learning Support

I feel grateful to be a part of the St. Peter Chanel community. I am passionate about helping children learn and providing them with the best educational environment possible. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with family and friends.

Melissa Sultana

Melissa Sultana

Learning Support

I feel privileged to be part of the St. Peter Chanel community as a Learning Support Officer. It gives me such joy to work alongside students to help them learn and grow as individuals. Outside of work I love to read, spend time with my family and friends and watch my three children play sport.

Chanel Scalise

Chanel Scalise

Learning Support

I love to paint, play the piano, dance, and sing. Outside of work I am a dance teacher, and teach tap! Tap is my favourite style of dance. I enjoy spending quality time with my family and friends, and playing with my dog!

Sheryl Payne

Sheryl Payne

Learning Support

Hi, my name is Sheryl and I’m a Learning Support Officer at St Peter Chanel School. My role is very rewarding as I get to work with students and help them achieve their personal best. I enjoy spending time with my family, going on holidays and catching up with friends.

Kerry Bellin

Kerry Bellin

Learning Support

Hi I’m Kerry. I believe in the Catholic philosophy and love working with all children.
I enjoy working with all the teachers, leaders and my peers. I like to keep up to date with any new educational programs. I enjoy spending time with my family (including my grandsons), my friends and my two dogs.

Rowena Murraylee

Rowena Murraylee

Learning Support

Hi my name is Rowena and I am a Learning Support Officer. I love working at St Peter Chanel School as the learning environment is facilitated upon strong and positive relationships. I have four grown up children and love walking my Labrador named Buddy every day.

Lara Manifavas

Lara Manifavas

Learning Support

Hi, my name is Lara and I work with the Yr 5 students. I am fortunate to be working alongside so many wonderful educators in such an inclusive environment. I am a mother to two wonderful children and love spending time with my family in my spare time.

Laura Demicoli

Laura Demicoli

Learning Support

Hi, my name is Laura and I am a Learning Support Officer. 

Susan Stasinowsky

Susan Stasinowsky

Learning Support

It’s a pleasure to belong to a school community built on relationships between students, staff and families. I encourage students’ personal belief in themselves in an environment that is both playful and challenging.
I have two girls who keep my husband and myself very busy with out of school activities.

Nada Atallah

Nada Atallah

Learning Support & New Arrivals Support

Hi my name is Nada.
I am a Learning Support Officer at St Peter Chanel School.  I also support our New Arrival families by providing interpreting for them when needed.  I speak Assyrian, Chaldean, Arabic and English.

Tling Chachai

Tling Chachai

Learning Support & New Arrivals Support

Hi my name is Nada.
I am a Learning Support Officer at St Peter Chanel School.  I also support our New Arrival families by providing interpreting for them when needed.  I speak Assyrian, Chaldean, Arabic and English.

Carmel Bortolotto

Carmel Bortolotto

Transition Coordinator & Intervention

Hi, I’m Carmel. I have been at St Peter Chanel School for a number of years and worked in a variety of roles. I strongly believe that making long lasting connections with students and families is at the heart of what we do at our school. I take great pride in assisting students with their learning and with the smooth running of our transition program.

Adrian Schultz

Adrian Schultz

English Intervention

My name is Adrian Schultz. St Peter Chanel is a wonderful community and I love being a part of it. As an Intervention teacher I enjoy supporting young readers in learning strategies that help them better understand  texts.  I barrack for the Western Bulldogs and often go to their games.

Michael Sullivan

Michael Sullivan

Maths Intervention & STEM

My name is Michael Sullivan and I am the STEM Teacher and I also take students for Maths intervention. I love teaching the students new skills when using devices and at SPC we have a strong emphasis on being positive digital citizens. I also really enjoy supporting students in Maths and helping them build on their understandings.

Christine Catterall

Christine Catterall

Intervention Support

Donna Hill

Donna Hill

Classroom Support

Fran Thorn

Fran Thorn

Resource Coordinator

I am passionate about promoting my love of reading to the students of St. Peter Chanel and love the opportunity of doing this through my efforts in the school library. Spending time with family and friends takes up most of my spare time and I am a one-eyed Western Bulldogs fanatic and love watching them play – especially when they win!

Jackie Rushen

Jackie Rushen

School Counsellor

Hi, as the school counsellor I provide support to all members of the St Peter Chanel Community.

Jessica Stiles

Jessica Stiles

Speech Therapist

Hi, as the school Speech Therapist I provide support to the St Peter Chanel Community.

Frank Chindamo

Frank Chindamo

Maintenance

Hi I’m Frank and my role is to maintain the school grounds and services at St Peter Chanel.

Charlie Zammit

Charlie Zammit

Groundskeeper

Hi I’m Charlie and my role is to maintain the school grounds and services at St Peter Chanel.

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Meet our principal, teachers, current students, parents, learn about our curriculum opportunities and tips for a smooth start to school.


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