Welcome to our new staff

Rob Moore

Rob teaches Senior Commerce and Humanities, and is one of our Year 11 Managers this year.   We are welcoming him back to St Helena, as he was with us in 2022.   He has also taught at Derrinallum P-12 School.   Rob says he has come back to St Helena because he loves it here. Teaching was a mid-career change for him.  He's always wanted to be a teacher because it's nice to feel you're contributing to something larger than yourself.  

An interesting fact about Rob is that he once won $50,000 on a TV game show!

 

Meghan Kostas

Meghan teaches Health/PE and Drama.  She has done CRT work at Viewbank Secondary College and here at St Helena, and held a full time position at Whittlesea Secondary College.   Meghan finds the students friendly and staff welcoming  here.  She chose teaching as her career to support young people in their most impressionable years.   Meghan would love to be fluent in Australian Sign Language (AUSLAN) and is teaching herself.

 

Chloe Giannakos          

 

Chloe also teaches Health and Physical Education.    She is a newly qualified teacher, having completed teaching placements at Eltham HS and Parade College.  Chloe is a past student of St Helena, and says being back has been enjoyable so far.  All staff have been lovely and supportive and the students are nice and friendly.    Chloe became a teacher to make a positive impact on students and their lives, and she finds helping young people be the best version of themselves rewarding.  She also chose her career based on the teacher influences she had throughout her school years.   Chloe enjoys being physically active and going to the gym, playing basketball and netball.   She likes being organised and reading in her spare time.  

 

Danny Coburn

Danny teaches English and English Literature.  He has been teaching since 1992, mainly in the UK, and from 2009 in Victoria.  He has held a range of Educational Leadership positions in both countries.   Danny's first impression of St Helena is that it is a good school with friendly staff and a positive student group . He says the school is well organised.   Danny said he became a teacher as a springboard to stardom (it didn't work!).

He is a singer in his free time.  

 

Sandra Castellanos

Sandra is one of our valued Learning Support Offices, having started her career in this area at Ashley Park Primary School last year.   She says St Helena is a spacious and busy school with a supportive staff.  She says it is a great place to work and grow her experience and knowledge to bring the best support to each unique student in an inclusive environment.  Sandra believes every student is a unique individual with their own skills and potential for growth.  She loves being part of creating an inclusive environment where everyone has a chance to have their needs met and foster a love of learning, to accept their own strengths and work to improve their weaknesses.   Sandra is a Spanish speaker.  After working as an engineer, she decided to change her career and gain further experience in inclusive education.   She is a food lover and enjoys cooking and trying out new recipes.  

 

Jade Charalambous

Jade has joined our Careers & Pathways Team this year.  Her previous workplace was Catholic Ladies' College as a VCE/VM/VET Leader.   She finds St Helena an energetic, warm and inviting community and thrives on working with young people and helping them explore their pathway options.  Jade and her husband recently had their first child, Julian.  Her husband Simon actually attended St Helena back in the day, although apparently we will not "find his name on any honour boards"!  He has since studied to be a Chef and is now a Food Studies Secondary Teacher.  

Melissa Little

Melissa joins the talented team of Learning Support Officers here at St Helena.   This is her first appointment as a Learning Support Officer.  At first she was amazed and a little overwhelmed at how big St Helena is, but she says she need not have worried because St Helena is a wonderful and welcoming community.  She has discovered that the St Helena community will not hesitate to hep whenever she has sought advice and guidance.  Melissa wants to work with young people in a school setting because she believes that every young person deserves an education where they can achieve their potential to be whoever they want to be.  She sees it as an honour to help support and guide young people on their educational, emotional and social journey.  Melissa loves to travel and explore cities and towns by walking or cycling through the streets.  However, she has a terrible sense of direction.  On one holiday she found herself hopelessly lost, cycling around in circles in Amsterdam only to discover she was less than 200 metres from where she was meant to be!