Welcome new staff 

Joining our community: Part 2

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. 

Madeline Wright

I joined NHS in my fourth year of teaching Art and Product Design, with experience in mainstream and alternative public education. Outside my role as an educator, I am a jeweller and sculptor. 

I like being involved in Melbourne's vibrant music community, although less so now that I am aging, but you can still occasionally hear me on-air at PBS, or out at a show. I keep my body active via walking, pilates and learning Muay Thai and I keep my mind active by attempting to read a book a month and studying Turkish.

I'm looking forward to being involved in the Northcote school community and learning alongside students every day.

Katina Nedelkos

Hi, I’m Katina, and I’m thrilled to be the new Front Receptionist at Northcote High School! I’m really enjoying my role so far and feel fortunate to be part of such a supportive and welcoming team. 

Before joining NHS, I worked in a variety of roles, including managerial positions in retail and educational support. I’ve always had a passion for working with people, and I’m excited to bring that enthusiasm to my role here. 

Outside of work, I’m in my final year of health science studies, which keeps me busy, but I also love experiencing new cultures through travel and food. 

Last year, I had the opportunity to visit 13 countries – it was an unforgettable adventure! I’m also a big dog lover and a proud Hawthorn supporter.

I’m looking forward to meeting more of you and contributing to the wonderful community here at Northcote High School!

Christopher Cadenhead

Hello Northcote! My name is Christopher Cadenhead and I am a new Politics/Legal/Humanities teacher. It's been a dream of mine to come to a great school like NHS. 

I have been teaching with the Department of Education for the last five years at East Doncaster Secondary College subsequently to completing my arts and then teaching degrees. 

Fostering students through their final years of schooling has been a particular focus of mine. I am really impressed with the subject selection choices of students at NHS. Having such great uptake in the Humanities subjects is awesome to see.

I am an avid reader of pretentious novels and regularly go to the cinema to catch the latest Oscar-bait films. I also love to have discussions about history and politics which were my majors at university. In terms of sports, I spend a chunk of time playing tennis representing Royal Park and following Arsenal (tragic) and Essendon (even more tragic). I am always open to hearing the latest about why my team is bad, so please feel free to come by my office in the GCC to remind me.

Massy Merabti  

I am Massylia Merabti (Massy), a passionate French teacher originally from Saint-Étienne, a city in the heart of France often referred to as “The Grey City” due to its industrial heritage and mining history.

As a lover of languages and cultures, I’ve had the privilege to travel and study in Ireland as well as Paraguay where I completed my master’s thesis on minority languages in education.

I arrived in Australia in January 2023 and started here as a French teacher for Alliance Française before I had to complete 88 days of regional work in Tully, Queensland. My experience as a banana worker only reinforces my gratitude of being a teacher here in Melbourne. 

I am beyond happy to finally be joining a school like Northcote High which is such a collaborative environment and a safe place where I can teach, learn, and be part of a community.

I am passionate about my job and love creating an engaging and positive learning environment, bonding with my students over common passions or learning from their interests and knowledge. What a dream job to be sharing my own language and culture with curious students.

Dora Solima

Hi my name is Dora, I have just started in the role of VET Coordinator & I am already loving it! Everyone has made me feel most welcome. My previous jobs have been in the Community Sector - managing an Emergency Relief Centre for The Salvation Army and prior to that - customer service/policy within Centrelink... I have 2 dogs and 3 cats - my pets are my world and that is what I will talk about all the time, so stop me when you feel your eyes glazing over... on my down time I love to garden - I have a great veggie patch which keeps me very busy, cook,  and of course read, so it's pretty wonderful that I sit in the hub right next to the library!