All our specialists are people who not only have a real passion for their subject area but also for the benefits their subjects have for students. They are proud to be part of a team that works hard to give students opportunities to learn about who they are, how they can help to shape the world around them and, very importantly, to give them safe spaces to explore their ideas, think creatively and critically and share some of who they are.

Andrew, or Andrew the Art Teacher and Quick Draw McDraw of YouTube fame, has been teaching for longer than any of the kids at this school have been walking the earth. He has worked as a classroom teacher, a CRT, a Music and a PE teacher, but he says teaching Art at BNWPS is the best of the lot. Every day in the Art Studio he is surprised by at least one student’s creative solution to the challenges he presents to them. He also runs Comic Club every Wednesday lunchtime which the students love, especially the younger ones.

Kate taught Art across the school before leaving to have her two boys, so loves being back in the Art room on Fridays to teach Foundies. Kate loves creating tactile, textural work like ceramics, weaving, and embroidery and hopes to make art experiences for Foundies as tactile (and messy) as possible. Kate teaches TK together with Tim Plummer during her other time at school.

Alicia loves everything to do with food - growing it, cooking it, eating it, and even composting the scraps! When she’s not in the garden or cloud-gazing, she’s cooking up a storm, playing banjolele, camping, or hanging out with her two children, husband, friends, and lively dog, Daisy. When she grows up she wants to live on a hobby farm surrounded by fruit trees, Eucalypts and a creek.

Shalani is the second Enviro Science teacher as well as a Grade 1/2 teacher this year. Her passions are sustainability, and her beautiful family. She enjoys time spent with friends, books, family, food, gardening and learning new things. She’s looking forward to working with the students in making a very productive garden and learning/teaching more about Biological and Earth Sciences.

Kas, aka, Ibu Kas, is passionate about what language learning can bring to students and loves seeing childrens’ eyes growing wide as they make some fascinating new discovery about the world they live in or laughing with them at the crazy stories and role-plays they create with just a small amount of language and some imagination. Her first teaching job was as a chemistry and physics teacher in a small village school on the island of Flores, Indonesia. None of her students could speak English so Kas learnt to speak Indonesian. A former research scientist and Elizabethan privateer come sailor/tour guide on an historic tall ship, Kas has had lots of adventures before settling with us at BNWPS. When not at school Kas is busy with her three children who are all now taller than she is - a fact that makes some of our younger students’ eyes go very wide indeed.

Tom is our energetic PE teacher who has been at BNW for 6 years. He loves to play lots of games that teach students fundamental PE skills that are inclusive and lots of fun as well. He’s also trying to help students develop their teamwork and communication skills every lesson by doing lots of partner and group work together. Tom believes there’s a form of movement for every-body and loves helping people get active. When he’s not being a teacher, he’s watching basketball, playing games or taking his dog, Ragnar for long walks and a play at the park. You might even see Ragnar around school joining in the PE lesson!

Jenny has eagerly jumped into the Performing Arts role this year, with 8 years prior experience teaching Foundation and Grade 6, she is excited to get to work with the whole school. Jenny comes from a circus background, previously performing around Australia with a small troupe. She is currently training in dance and collaborating with musicians using liquid projection art. Outside of school you might catch Jenny having a boog to live music, walking her kelpie (Shadow) around Dunstan Reserve, or escaping the city out camping by the beach or a river. As a child/ teenager Jenny used to get social anxiety, she strongly believes performing arts should be a fun space where all students feel safe and supported to express themselves. Jenny’s also passionate about providing students with opportunities to perform both within and outside of the school community, so if you have any ideas for our amazing students to get involved in please shoot her a message!

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