Welcome to our New Staff
Hello from Mrs A Davies
I am so excited to be joining the amazing team at Windang Public School next year!
I am a passionate, lifelong learner who has been teaching for over 10 years. Most of my career has been based in Campbelltown where I have gained invaluable experiences and expertise in teaching and leadership. I have been an Assistant Principal for 5 years, and am dedicated to ensuring every student thrives in their learning.
Hello from Mrs C Barkley
Hi, my name is Carinya Barkley and I am a passionate educator. I love teaching children, helping them to learn and improve their skills academically, socially and emotionally. I have over ten years teaching experience and have been privileged to teach children of all ages from pre-primary and primary to high school.
From 2018 until now I have worked at Coledale Public School as a leader and classroom teacher across each stage (ES1 through to Stage 3). Prior to that I worked at Thirroul Public School as a leader and classroom teacher for several years on Stage 2 and Stage 3 classes.
I am very enthusiastic about increasing my skills and knowledge as an educator through continuous learning and reflecting on my practice. I enthusiastically involve local communities and families in student learning and have been very fortunate to create positive and lasting relationships with students, families, and educational staff. I have a strong interest in sport, music, creative art, STEM, science, literacy and numeracy and am very excited to contribute to Windang Public School's fantastic team.
Hello from Anita Chin
Anita Chin is an expert Mathematician, Mathematics consultant and educator with extraordinary state, national and international expertise in working with schools as a change agent to make maths a priority. With her distinctive no-nonsense approach, she calls it as she sees it without fear or favour.
Anita Chin will work with the school's Maths Crew (team) to create a learning environment where all our students can be mathematicians. The Windang PS Maths Crew will work with Anita Chin to develop a consistent whole-school approach as the driving factor in improving student understanding and achievement in mathematics.
More details at:
Anita Chin | Inspired Mathematics Teaching (anitachinmaths.com.au)
Hello from Miss Kemp
Miss Kemp is originally from Adelaide, South Australia. She moved to Wollongong at the beginning of 2021 to experience teaching and living the east-coast lifestyle. Miss Kemp was a Year One teacher in Camden last year and is thrilled to be moving a little closer to home and joining the Windang Community as the Kindy/One classroom teacher. She also has experience teaching and learning with primary students as she spent three years in the Year Six/Seven community in South Australia. Miss Kemp is passionate about all things sport, fitness and learning in the outdoors! Since purchasing her new home in Coniston she is beginning to become a lover of gardening and using all the yummy produce to make some delicious meals!
Hello from Miss Khaika
I’m Fatima Khaika and this year I’ll be teaching the amazing 3/4 Koalas. I finished my teaching degree at the Australian Catholic University in 2020 and you may remember me doing my final internship at Windang PS, which seems like so long ago. I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to work at such an amazing school and the privilege to be in many classrooms as an RFF teacher, as well as the COVID Intensive Learning Support Teacher. Last year, I was mentored by Jess Buchelin, a registered Speech Pathologist and trained in Science of Reading. This has increased my knowledge and expertise in understanding the importance of teaching children to read through phonics instruction, being able to identify individual sounds to decode spoken words in a text. In a nutshell, phonics instruction is best presented systematically and repeatedly to become fluent. So expect lots of repetition!
A little bit about me… I grew up in Kiama, spent a few years in Sydney and due to COVID, I
moved back home with my Fiancé. I recently got my first puppy named Charlie who is a Cocker Spaniel x Poodle and he really loves the beach which makes two of us!
I look forward to another fantastic year at Windang PS, learning, growing and teaching year 3/4.
Hello from Miss Rogers
On completion of a Bachelor of Primary Education degree (University of Wollongong) in October last year, I worked as a casual at Flinders Public School. Throughout my degree, I worked with 'PEAK Sports and Learning' (before /after school care and vacation care) for 4 years, developing skills in programming, child development and building healthy relationships with students. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the children at the different centres.
I lead an active lifestyle, playing soccer on weekends, enjoying the great outdoors and anything musical - basically I'm a big kid at heart. I'm super excited to initiate my new career at Windang Public School and look forward to making a positive contribution, meeting new friends and developing my skills in teaching.
Hello from Mr Young
My name is Al Young and I was born in New York to expatriate parents who whisked my three siblings and I all over the world until finally settling in Australia. I completed my Higher School Certificate at a boarding school in Sydney before spending a year in Texas working at a summer camp for children with physical and medical disabilities. I then returned to Australia and studied geology at the University of Sydney where I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Science.
After graduating, I spent five years working as a professional geologist in Brisbane. In 2016 I did an 800 km walk across northern Spain during which time I decided upon a change in my career direction. As a result, I moved to Wollongong to study a PhD at the University of Wollongong. As part of this programme, I had the opportunity to help teach undergraduate students. I found I loved teaching and decided to also undertake a Master of Teaching (Primary) at the University of New England. I completed both my PhD and Masters in 2021 and have been teaching in the Illawarra since then.
In my spare time I enjoy surfing, cooking, bush walking with my dog (a 5 year old Kelpie) and spending time with friends and family.
I am excited to be joining Windang Public School and look forward to meeting you all.