Meet the amazing people who have joined CJC in 2024
Sandra Ballin
My name is Sandra Ballin and I am French. I have been a teacher for 12 years and I have taught from Grade 1 to Year 12 in France, and in Vietnam. I have loved working with students from different cultures and backgrounds and I cannot wait to discover the students from Caulfield Junior College and share with them my culture and language through different fun and engaging projects. In my free time, I enjoy dancing, playing the piano, trying delicious food from all around the world. I’m also passionate about yoga and I became very fond of karaoke in Vietnam, but I am still a terrible singer!
Allison Bellamy
Hi! My name is Allison and I am a newly graduated teacher, teaching grade 2 for my first year at CJC. While I studied hard to complete my degree over the past four years, I also worked at Haighs Chocolates, which I had worked at for over 9 years... that's a lot of chocolate consumption... I majored in Languages Other Than English in University, and so I am very excited to join the CJC community as it is multilingual. In my spare time, I enjoy gaming and spending time with friends and family. My family is in Adelaide, so I need to travel a fair way to see them. Last year I married my now husband, Mark, who enjoys all the things I do, and he is also studying to be a teacher. We met at a gig in 2015, where we both played in rock bands! I look forward to settling in at CJC and making many memories with my new class and colleagues.
Leora Jaye
My name is Ms Jaye and I am so excited to be joining the amazing CJC team in the Grade 3/4 cohort. I am a graduate teacher and am learning the ropes in the classroom, and I have worked as a Speech Pathologist for the last 8 years, in different schools around Melbourne. I am passionate about literacy and have seen that passion throughout this school as well. When I’m not at CJC, I am usually chasing around my daughter, Emmanuelle, who is 1.5 years old and has a lot to say! I like puzzles and crosswords and hosting family and friends at my house for lavish dinners. A fun fact about me is that I have correctly guessed Wordle in a single go twice!
David Logue
Hello/Bonjour families of Caulfield Junior College. It is an honour and a privilege to join your school community as a new teacher in the Year 5/6 cohort. With eighteen years of teaching experience in Western Australia, I am grateful to be given the opportunity to move to Victoria and teach at this unique and forward-thinking school. I love to form positive relationships with the students and their families with the goal of getting all the children in my care to want to come to school and know they can achieve. My classroom is a safe haven for my students where they can truly be themselves, explore, learn and thrive. It is exciting for me to meet a whole new group of children, not only in the Year 5/6 classes, but also the rest of the school. I am a huge fan of sports, whether it be playing, coaching or watching. I am a Collingwood supporter so please don't hold that against me. I also love the theatre, going to the movies, reading books and going for a run. I look forward to spending time with the Caulfield Junior College family and immersing myself in the French culture in the heart of Melbourne.
Kathleen O'Connell
Hi, I’m Katie and I’ve been teaching for a number of years throughout Melbourne and overseas. It’s exciting moving to Caulfield Junior College this year as I’m passionate about Literacy development in children and am excited to work in a school space with multiple languages! I’m also hoping to build on my limited French! I love theatre, music and dancing and am passionate about incorporating creativity in the classroom. A fun fact about me is that I am a distant relative of John F Kennedy! (9th cousins to be exact)
Jayden Van Dyk
Hi my name is Jayden van Dyk and I’m excited to be teaching Physical Education at Caulfield Junior College this year. This is my fourth-year teaching, but first year as a specialist teacher. I come from the Gippsland region of Victoria and have recently moved to the Southeast Melbourne Suburbs. I’m excited to work with students, staff and families of CJC. In my short time here already, I get a real sense of collaboration and excellence from the school community and I'm thoroughly looking forward to contributing to this throughout the year. I love all sports; however I have particular interests in AFL, basketball, and golf. Over the last few years I have also found a passion in running and swimming. I also enjoy being at the beach, travelling and watching a good movie! Fun fact; when I was in Grade 6, my family spent 3 months travelling around Australia in a caravan
Mark Wu
Hello, I am Mark, your ICT tech at CJC. I've worked mainly in the private corporate sector, I have a Master of IT and a Bachelor of Physical Education, have been a Fire Fighter for both Forest and CFA. I’m excited about hearing and learning French, and having fun working alongside like-minded people, in an Honest, Empathetic, Respectful and Optimistic environment. In my spare time, I like to ride and tinker on motorbikes, travel, appreciate art and museums. Fun fact about me, I'm red-green colour deficient / colour-blind, which affects approximateone in ten males.