Welcome new staff 

Joining our community 

We are delighted to have several new staff join our community this year, with a great breadth of experience from teaching and beyond. Please say hello when you see them around. 

Julia Stoppa – Acting Assistant Principal

 I am thrilled to join the Northcote High School community, filling some pretty big shoes while Allira Scott is on leave. I have most recently been working as an Education Improvement Leader in the Bayside and Peninsula Area (BPA) where I was supporting schools to develop their teaching practices, translating new Department of Education initiatives for the many and various school contexts, and delivering professional learning to primary and secondary schools on retrieval practice and the new Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0. I was fortunate to spend a decade in Europe where I worked as a classical clarinet player in orchestras in The Netherlands, France, and Germany. I returned to Australia in 2007 to a position in the Royal Australian Air Force as a musician in the RAAF Central Band. My teaching disciplines are Music and English, and I am looking forward to getting to know my colleagues and families here at NHS and contributing to this already vibrant and dedicated workforce. 

Vanessa Paciocco

Hello Northcote High School community,

I am delighted to introduce myself as a teacher of both Italian and English. Growing up in a bilingual household, I developed a deep passion for languages and different ways oflearning, from watching foreign films to exploring music and theatre. My love for Italian and French began in high school, where I was intrinsically motivated to study them, but I understand that every student’s language journey is unique.

I have been fortunate to live and teach overseas in both Paris and Rome, experiences that deepened my appreciation for culture, history, and lifestyles. In addition to teaching languages, I have also taught Humanities, which has allowed me to explore connections between language, culture, and society. I am especially excited about the exchange and cultural trips offered at NHS, as they provide incredible opportunities for students to immerse themselves in new experiences.

Thank you to all the staff and students for the warm welcome—I look forward to a fantastic year of learning together!

Harrison Clarebrough

Hi everyone! I am one of the new science teachers at Northcote High School. I am fresh out of my university degree – having worked in the science field for about 5 years, I realised that teaching, my passion when I was younger, was something I wanted to pursue. Beginning my new career, I am loving it and the opportunity to help drive future generations forward! I am a lover of the outdoors, bouldering, and hiking – I recently returned from a Tasmania trip where I completed 10 hikes in about 15 days! Music is a big part of my life, so I love attending concerts when I can, and when I’m not doing any of the previous activities, I am a homebody at heart. At home I have a pet, Mishka, a sweet cat who converts everyone she meets into cat lovers, and friends and family who are very special to me. Thanks for reading my bio, do say hi if you see me!

Freya Scully

I’m really happy to be joining the English faculty full-time in 2025, after working at Northcote High School as a casual staff member last year. Outside of work, I enjoy staying active, going to the gym, and walking the dog. I’m a big fan of art and music—I love exploring galleries and going to gigs. I also have a passion for travel, learning about new cultures, and trying different cuisines from around the world.

Gram Morris

Hi everyone. Last year I was at Princes Hill Secondary College where taught English and Humanities. 2024 was my graduate teaching year, however, this is deceiving because I have done quite a bit of CRT work over the years (at Fitzroy High and at Preston) and I also taught at some international schools in Tokyo a very long time ago.

This year at NHS I am teaching VCE Legal Studies which is perfect because not only is it a subject area I am very passionate about, but it is also a convenient way to deal with the trauma of being a recovering lawyer and working in the criminal and mental health justice system for 7 years.

Here are some other Gram facts. I follow the Essendon football club between March and August.  I have some connection with Northcote High because my brother went to school here (class of 2003) and I also grew up in Northcote. My favourite thing to do is to play board games with my partner and my 2 young kids. Monopoly Deal and Ticket to Ride are currently on high rotation. I am a big believer that games are a great way for students to learn about key concepts in humanities. Thank you to the staff and students who have made me feel very welcome and supported in my first weeks at NHS.  

Sarah Bombonel

I am excited to be joining NHS as a French and EAL teacher. I am passionate about languages and believe that language learning is a lifelong journey. I have been teaching for eight years, and most recently I taught at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School. Even though French is my passion, I was born to Italian parents, so I studied both French and Italian at university. I’ve recently spent four years living and working in France where I taught English in a high school. In my free time I enjoy reading, doing Duolingo, playing the trumpet, and drawing. I look forward to getting to know the NHS community and helping all students to have a positive experience with their language learning.