Office Team 

Carmen Britnell - Acting Principal 

Hello and welcome to our South Melbourne Community! I am very proud to be the Acting Principal of our great School. It is an incredible joy and privilege to work with our delightful students, families, staff and the wider community at SMPS.

From the moment our doors opened in 2018 there have been nothing but smiles from children (and adults), all displaying beautiful manners as they walked through our doors. A parent spoke to me on the first day about the impact a smile can have. She said, ‘it may be a simple thing, but it is a universal language that speaks to the heart of us all.’ I feel incredibly lucky to work in such a vibrant and diverse community that fills our hearts and souls with positive energy each day.

For those who don’t know me, I grew up in small coastal town called Anglesea along the Surfcoast. I enjoy most forms of music and enjoy going to concerts with my friends and family in my spare time. Growing up in the Geelong region it is no surprise that I follow the AFL and barrack for the Mighty Geelong Cats! I can’t wait for the new season to begin so that I can get along to as many games as possible.

I have been teaching since 2005 and have worked in a number of diverse Victorian public schools in the Geelong area as well as a private international school in Dubai. Whilst living overseas for 6 years in the United Arab Emirates, I caught the travel bug and love travelling to new places and meeting new people. I have to say, that experiencing the local cuisine in each new country has also been a highlight and might explain why I have returned to Turkey eight times!

If you see me around the School, please feel free to come up and introduce yourselves. I can’t wait to meet you!

Beth Jones 

Hi I am Beth and I am the Acting Assistant Principal here at SMPS. I joined the school during the construction phase and I am so incredibly proud of what we are achieved as a school in the last 2 years. I am extremely excited to continue the work with all the families this year and welcome many new families to our wonderful school community too.

I was brought up in London and then moved to Oxford to train to be a teacher.  I taught in London before moving to Melbourne 6 years ago. 

My husband and I enjoy living in Melbourne very much even though I do enjoy popping back to the UK during the holidays to visit.

Jan Selleck 

My name is Jan Selleck and I am the Office Manager at SMPS.  I was one of the foundation staff who opened the doors of SMPS for the very first time back in January 2018. I am married and have a 21 year old daughter living in New York and a 17 year old son going in to Year 12.  I love spending time with my family and my favourite activities include musical theatre, long walks, sketching and entertaining.  Before I come to work each day, I go for a 6km run along the beach front which always sets me up for a fabulous day.

Tess Duerden  

Hi, I’m Tess and I’m the Business Manager here at South Melbourne Primary School. I’m now coming up to my second year here at the school and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve worked at a few other schools but there is definitely something special about SMPS. Outside of work I make sure there is a steady work/life balance by being social on the weekend with friends and family. Summer is my favourite time of the year and I always make sure that I’m out and about being active and going on little adventures. I’m looking forward to seeing all of our existing families again and meeting all of our new families. 2020 is going to be a great year!

Karen Hall - Office Administration