Former Teachers
Meredith Atilemile
French Teacher at Sacré Cœur from 2000 - 2013
I left Sacré Cœur at the end of 2013 to move to Canberra for family reasons. Since then, I have taught at St John Paul II College and St Francis Xavier College – high school French, Japanese, English, History, Geography, Commerce and RE.
In that time, as an active member of the 5000 Poppies movement, I crocheted thousands of poppies of remembrance for the centenary of the Great War. I travelled to France in July 2016 to assist with the poignant installation at Fromelles, and I was one of the leaders for the incredible installation of 62,000 poppies at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra in October and November last year.
I recently completed a Graduate Certificate in Professional and Creative Writing. While my memoir is still a work in progress, I indulge in a regular blog containing both creative writing and travel observations
Fulfilling a long-held dream, my husband and I moved to France last May, settling in the Côte d’Azur hinterland. Marco (who older Sac students might remember as our chef for Joigny French Days) is working in a starred restaurant in Cannes, while I am teaching a class of 4-year-olds in an international bilingual school. School life is very different here – it’s compulsory from 3 years old – although the teachers seem to have the same complaints about bureaucracy and crowded curriculum!
I continue to make the most of my passion for travel, having visited France several times since leaving Sac, as well as the US and the Caribbean. In Tokyo earlier this year I was able to visit my old school, Seishin Joshi Gakuin (of the Sacred Heart network). Now that I am based here in the south of France, I am enjoying exploring locally and experiencing village life.
We are looking forward to the Christmas visit of our two children. Our daughter, Jennifer, an alumna of Sacré Cœur (2007), is now an international curve model. While based in New York, she is also the face of Forever New’s Curve collection in Australia. You might have seen her on TV or on billboards!
