Educational Support

Ferris Wong - Occupational Therapist

“This is Ferris and as an Occupational Therapist, I work closely with students, teachers and family to support their participation and engagement in various school activities, by developing the skills necessary to succeed at school, particularly students who may have challenges with motor skills, sensory processing, self-care and daily routine.

I consider myself to be a friendly and a calm person, I can also be very energetic when around students. I am looking forward to collaborate with the team and supporting students to achieve their best possible outcome”

Yin Tse – School Counsellor

Hi! I’m Yin, I am the School Counsellor to support the students and families at Mitcham Primary School.

I work on every Monday and Tuesday, please feel free to chat with me when you pass by the meeting room next to the general office.

I have two lovely daughters (aged 11 & 3), I love baking with them when I am home. Please share with me some good recipes and I’d love to learn from you all. I am very excited and happy to become part of the MPS community.

Natalie Deacon - Education Support Leader

Natalie has a strong background in both education and community services. With over 20 years of experience as an interior decorator, she transitioned into community services in 2016, becoming a qualified Community Service Worker. Since then, she has been dedicated to supporting children in an educational setting.

Currently, Nat works for the Department of Education and a not-for-profit organisation that supports school staff in managing students with complex and high-risk behaviours. She has extensive experience in Education Support and most recently served as a Wellbeing Officer at a school in Melbourne’s inner east.

Passionate about fostering inclusive learning environments, Nat is committed to empowering both educators and students to thrive and…she loves cats!

Amber Shearn

Hello Mitcham Primary School community! My name is Amber and I am a new addition to the ES team this year! I am very excited to be a part of this school and the community as a whole, and am very eager to get to know as many faces as I can. Feel free to say hello if you see me around! I am currently in my last year of studying exercise physiology at Latrobe University and am very passionate about learning new things, physical activity/exercise and all things related to sport! I'll be at the school Wednesday-Friday and am hoping to positively impact the learning and wellbeing of the students at Mitcham, as well as bring some joy and happiness into the classroom. Hope everyone has a great year!

Yianna Vasiliadis

Hello! I'm Yianna Vasiliadis, and I'm excited to join the Education Support team here at Mitch Primary School. I'm currently pursuing my Master's degree in Speech Pathology and look forward to working with and supporting the students in our school community.

Leah Stremski

Hi, I’m Leah. I’m an Education Support staff member and in my final year of study toward my Bachelor of Education. I love connecting with students and learning about your interests. Come say ‘hi’ and chat with me about anything—your weekend, what you had for breakfast, or favourite sport! I look forward to being part of your school journey.

Byron Lee

My name is Byron, I am in Education Support at Mitcham Primary School. I work in various year levels across the school, so you may see me in your class.

I am currently studying a Teachers Aide course, to see if I want to become a teacher.

My hobbies are camping, going to the beach and working on my car. I have two dogs, Frankie and Lucky who also love the beach and camping.

Julie Rowson

Hi I'm Julie (Mrs R), I have been at Mitcham for many, many years and have worked across all year levels. I love building positive relationships with students and providing support for them academically, socially and emotionally. My hobbies include camping outdoors, reading and spending time with my family and dogs!

Kate Hine

My name is Kate Hine and I am thrilled to be starting as an education support staff at Mitcham Primary School this year. I am currently completely my masters in Primary and Secondary Teaching at Deakin University and hope to one day become a secondary school history and English teacher. Outside of school I love playing netball and watching the Suncorp super netball, GO VIXENS!

Our other Education Support staff are Mitch Hanegraaf, James Cormack-Brown and Jacquie Pontefract. You will meet them in the classroom and around the school supporting our students. We are fortunate to have such a dynamic and professional team of Educational Support staff working at Mitcham Primary School.

Mitchat

Respect, Resilience, Kindness, Love of Learning

Issue 1 · 07 Feb 2025

In this issue