Welcome to new staff

A big St Helena welcome to new and returning staff

Liam Hunt

Liam joins us as our new Building and Construction trainer, coming from Peter Lalor Secondary College where he taught VET Sport, Aquatics and Recreation.   Liam's first impression of our school was that the school is flexible, has great facilities and polite staff.    Liam is passionate about teaching young men and women about his trade, and enjoys the work/life balance of a teacher.   He has an 11 month old daughter named Harper and his wife Kristy is also a teacher.   He shares his home with a 2 year old golden retriever, has three other siblings and loves all sport - especially AFL and cricket.  

Jane Thomas

Jane is a member of our Product Design & Technology team, specialising in Textiles. She has taught at Eltham High School, Dwight School Seoul, and Yokohama International School.   She visited our Art and Product Design and Technology exhibition at the end of 2025 and was highly impressed by our students' work.  Jane loves travelling and experiencing new countries and cultures.   She says teaching gives her the opportunity to share her appreciation of art and design, and she loves learning from her students and supporting them in their creativity.

Daniel Esdaile  

Daniel joins our Humanities domain, specialising in commerce subjects.    He says the moment he spoke to Assistant Principal Shaun Isbister about the possibility of coming to St Helena, he could sense that the school is very people focused.  Daniel had always done tutoring while studying his Bachelor of Commerce, and in 2017 volunteered his time to teach English in Barcelona where he was inspired to apply to study a Master of Teaching.   Daniel has travelled to 55 countries, and speaks Spanish fluently.  

Moneesha Samanta

Moneesha is a teacher of Science and Mathematics, specialising in Chemistry.    Her teaching experience includes teaching VCE chemistry amongst other subjects at Templestowe College.  She has provided mentoring and academic support to Honours and Post Graduate students at both ANU and Adelaide University, including guidance in laboratory techniques and research practices.    Moneesha's initial impression of St Helena was that it is a welcoming community.   She says herinterview panel was warm, open and genuinely interested in her practice, which gave her a strong sense of a staff culture built on trust and collaboration.   When she walked through the school, she found our students to be polite, confident and clearly proud of their school   Her overall impression is of a place where people know each other, look out for each other, and take pride in learning.   She believes St Helena is a school where she can contribute meaningfully and continue to grow.  Moneesha became a teacher because learning has shaped every stage of her life, and she wants to share that experience with young people. Her own journey has taken her across disciplines and countries: from a B.Sc. (Hons) in Chemistry, to a PhD investigating zinc isotope systems, to a Graduate Diploma in Painting, and later a Certificate IV in Cyber Security. Most recently, completing her Master of Teaching reaffirmed that education is the place where all of these threads come together.  Across these transitions, the constant has been Moneesha's curiosity and love of learning. She wants her students to see that learning is not linear, that it can open new pathways at any point in life, and that changing direction is a strength rather than a setback. Teaching gives Moneesha a way to model that mindset while supporting students to build confidence, think critically, and find their own interests.  Ultimately, she became a teacher because she believes in the transformative power of education and wants to foster the same lifelong curiosity in her students that has guided her own path.  An interesting part of Moneesha's journey is that she's never limited herself to just one field. Although a scientist by training with a PhD, she is also a classically trained singer in Rabindra Sangeet and once made it to the finals of Indian Australian Idol!! Moneesha still performs at multicultural events, and music has been a constant source of joy across all the different chapters of her life.

Bradley Fay

Bradley is a member of our Visual Arts team.  His first impression of St Helena has been "fantastic".   Everybody has been incredibly welcoming, and the school has a warm, positive feel that makes him excited to be here.   He says the school has a diverse range of facilities that enable students to really grow as learners.  Bradley has always enjoyed helping people grow and discover what they are capable of.   He wants to be in a position where he can communicate and share knowledge, and teaching has turned out to be the perfect fit - mostly because it lets him do just that while constantly learning too (and occasionally realising he has much more to learn!). 

Bradley loves seeing new places, being hands-on making things, and finding inspiration in unexpected places.  He likes to animate but admittedly gets too ambitious and rarely finishes a project!

Shayma Sheikh

Shayma joins us as a teacher of Humanities and Psychology.  St Helena is her first school and has made a first impression as a warm and welcoming community.   Shayma has always been passionate about inspiring others to reach their full potential and sharing her enthusiasm for learning.   When she's not teaching, Shayma is an avid reader and lover of volleyball.  

Welcome back to:

Matilda Walpole (Reception)

Esther Pyo (Humanities teacher)

Jasmin Smith (Visual Arts Assistant)

Janet Andrews (Maths - Term 1)

Ian Mitchell (Technology)