Our People

Your name? Donna aka Dons

What grade is your child in? Prep W

What do you do for work? I'm a Marketing Coordinator for a Company that implements Oracle software.

How have you set yourself up to work from home? I'm currently working from the kitchen table, so many of our meals are eaten picnic-style on the lounge room floor.

How are you looking after your wellbeing while working from home? weekly walks, listening to a load of audiobooks and having regular chats with friends and family on facetime.

What is one thing you are grateful for over the last week? The beautiful sunshine, my neighbours and having access to technology so that I am able to stay connected with family and friends.

What are some of the things you’re most passionate about and most enjoy? Cooking (although I'm no master Chef) I love feeding my friends and family, being outside in nature something we haven't been able to do as much and travelling overseas, the bucket list of destinations is growing!

Favourite food or dish? All foods and food intervals are my favourites 😂. I have a Filippino Mother so - Her cooking wins every time.

Favourite song, band or movie? 

Song - There are way too many favourites to list - but Mariah Carey's "Fantasy" has been on repeat in the car of late. 

Band - Six60

Movie -The labyrinth (late 80's early 90's movies are the best).

What are you planning to do over the school holidays? Go to the beach and build sandcastles, see our friends for a play at a playground, movie nights and lots of scooter rides discovering our local cafes/ green spaces.

What is the funniest thing that has happened during home learning? Not really that funny, but the realisation that my child is so much more advanced than I was at 5... learning has evolved so much since I started school in 1989!!

Your name?  - Sarah Sorenson

What grade is your child in? - Prep L

What do you do for work? - I'm an accountant and have worked for Asahi for the past 12 years

How have you set yourself up to work from home? - Working from home has certainly been a bit of a challenge with Mia and I mostly sharing the kitchen table for home learning and working.  

How are you looking after your wellbeing while working from home? - We always make sure we get out at lunch time for a walk to break up the day and get some fresh air, and on days where we feel a little overwhelmed we put the music up loud and dance it out!  

What is one thing you are grateful for over the last week? - The sunshine and reopening of playgrounds.

What are some of the things you’re most passionate about and most enjoy? - I love fitness and always known to take up some crazy challenges from competing in ironman triathlons to body building comps.  Mia and I also love going on adventures and exploring new places.

Favourite food or dish? - I love mexican food, and my one real weakness is icecream.

Favourite song, band or movie? - I don't really have a favourite but I am really enjoying more reading during lockdown and currently reading 'Untamed' by Glennon Doyle and have also been really enjoying listening to podcasts this year.

What are you planning to do over the school holidays? - Visit as many playgrounds in our 5km radius as we can, enjoy some time to reset and slow down.

What is the funniest thing that has happened during home learning? - It's funny now, but not so much at the time.  I was on a conference call and Mia was playing in the bathroom having a great time, so much fun that I didn't want to interupt her fun, but after awhile thought I better check on her, only to find she had flooded the bathroom whilst doing 'science experiments'.

Your name? 

Roxanne Albarenque 

What grade is your child in?

Rhys PrepW

Dylan 5/6H

What do you do for work?

My partner and I run an engineering consultancy. We also have a new venture and two new businesses Perform Panels and Saved Constructions. We are inventors and entrepreneurs of a patented wall system. We have been developing, working, testing and trialing over the past 6years. Our little idea, has turned into one big idea and an ever involving learning curve and adventure. Our projects are coming into fruition and we see great potential in our product and system in the building industry. We are looking forward to finishing our projects and excited that we can manage a project from conceptual design to finish product building.

How have you set yourself up to work from home?

Our family has moved to Jan Juc, where we are managing a project development, whilst our house is also being built in Albert Park. 

Our dinner table is where all of our kids remote home learn and I work, with break out rooms (living areas) for online meetings, for the older boys and comfy spaces for reading books/documents for everyone. Shane has his desk work computer, monitors and printer set up in one of the break out rooms. 

We recently bought a new Bluetooth printer, to make printing documents from iPads/laptops/smartphones easier.

How are you looking after your wellbeing while working from home?

I walk everyday, listening to some tunes. I find the days, I don’t have time for that walk, more challenging. I was having weekly zoom meetings with some close girlfriends but now fortnightly, to stay connected and sane. Life with boys only, is tough!

What is one thing you are grateful for over the last week?

I’m grateful that the weather has improved this week and that the light, is starting to peek through the tunnel.

What are some of the things you’re most passionate about and most enjoy?

My family and close friends are the most important overall and I am most passionate about them. I love hiking, snowboarding, cooking and reading. Volunteering my time as a Venturer Leader with Scouts Victoria at 1st Elwood is worthwhile. I help and facilitate young people, to organise meetings and events. It really is incredible, to see teenagers develop into young resilient adults. I love, to help youth see their potential and that they are capable of anything they want to achieve, personally or within the community. The youth are our future. I love helping out at SMPPS where I can too:) and feeling connected to our school community. 

Favourite food or dish?

My mum’s empanadas yum 😋

Favourite song, band or movie?

Mi Buenos Aires Querido, INXS and Ghosts.

What are you planning to do over the school holidays?

Catch up on work lol.

I’ve recently joined a women’s surf group, surfcoastwomensboardriders and hope to learn to surf. All the boys are surfing. I have tried in the past but this coming summer, I’m keen to try again. 

Spend time with the kids riding bikes:)

What is the funniest thing that has happened during home learning?

Nothing really pops to mind, but the kids believe that “Remote Home Learning”, itself, is the funniest. I definitely do not see, the funny side but it is a bonus, not having to rush in the mornings and having the kids around for cuddles. 

Your name? Lisa Breen

What grade is your child in? Prep L

What do you do for work? I work in the library at school and co-ordinate the South Melbourne Toy Library.

How have you set yourself up to work from home? I’m surrounded by books and toys. My daughter loves it.

How are you looking after your wellbeing while working from home? I’m trying to be mindful not to waste this time together as a family, while also getting some time for myself at least once a day.

What is one thing you are grateful for over the last week? The warmer weather that has brought out the blossoms, and of course our good health.

What are some of the things you’re most passionate about and most enjoy? I most enjoy spending time with my family on the Mornington Peninsula and my husband’s family in New Zealand. We miss them a lot!

Favourite food? Mangoes

What are you planning to do over the school holidays? Lots of walks, cooking and virtual play dates with Daphne’s cousins.

What is the funniest thing that has happened during home learning? Just hearing some of the comments the Preps make to Mr Lovett has had me in stitches.