Student Services 

Welcome back

Welcome back students and families from all of us in the Student Services team. We hope the holidays provided you all with an opportunity to relax, recharge and (perhaps!) fit in an adventure or two.

Students Services are an inter-disciplinary team who work in a unique space within the Northcote High School community. This unique space comprises of:

• Mental health support;
• Health promotion;
• parent education;
• liaising with external agencies;
• Respectful Relationships;
• alternate and post-secondary school pathways;
• careers education;
• student clubs;
• Programs for Students with Disabilities;
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community liaising;
• VET;
• staff training;
• VCAL; and
• learning support.

The Student Services Team are looking forward to continuing and furthering their work with students, staff, families and the broader community this year.

Some of the words the team have used to describe 2020 are:

Excited. Hopeful. Energised. Enthusiastic. Willing. Passionate. Positive. Driven.

Get to know your Student Services Team

Our friendly team is committed to creating a safe and supportive environment for our students. Students are welcome to drop into M11 at any time. Get to our team a little bit more below: 

Leanne Petroff (Head of Student Services)

Leanne has worked with young people for almost twenty years. She is an English and Humanities teacher, a qualified counsellor and a Mental Health First Aid instructor. Leanne strives to improve our community’s mental health literacy and promote positive help-seeking and pro-social behaviours. Leanne loves animals (especially her cat Orwell), good coffee and meandering the fiction shelves at her local bookstore.

Alana Smith (Year 11 & 12 Student Wellbeing Coordinator)

In addition to her teaching qualification, Alana has completed further study in adolescent counselling and is passionate about helping people draw connections between their physical and emotional wellbeing. Alana teaches Humanities and English and NHS, she loves cats and playing footy. 

Kat Brissett (Year 9 & 10 Student Wellbeing Coordinator)

Kat is a social worker who has experience working in tertiary, community-based and youth-focussed organisations. In 2017, Kat spent a very cold year working with young women in Mongolia, she also loves talking about how much she wants a dog, baking and (very short) bike rides.

Patrick O’Gorman (Year 7 & 8 Student Wellbeing Coordinator)

Patrick brings his passion for and studies in positive psychology to the wellbeing team. Patrick teaches PE at NHS, and loves playing archery and curling in his spare time. Patrick might be known to our younger students by his nickname, POG, and loves chatting about ‘off the grid’ living. 

Martin Ramsay (VET Coordinator)

Martin has been NHS’s VET coordinator for ten years. He has taught various English subjects and Literature for thirty years, has coordinated Public Speaking for twenty-five years and has a PhD in Japanese Literature!  Martin loves his new orange shoelaces and has a bunny rabbit named Momo (which means ‘Peach’ in Japanese).

Cathy Lester – VET Coordinator Assistant

Cathy supports Martin with the coordination of VET and she is also a Year 12 Program Leader (find her in the Senior Sub-School office). Cathy is an experienced VCAL, PE and Maths teacher and was a Student Wellbeing Coordinator for many years. Cathy is a die-hard basketballer and coach. Cathy has a much-loved dog named Ringo.

Karen ‘Booma’ Burgess (Careers Practitioner)

Imported from Gippsland in mid-2019, Booma is a Careers Practitioner with 14 years  experience, and has also taught for much of this time.  Booma is passionate about working with young people to pursue their dreams.  When she’s not at work you will find Booma spending time with family– walking her dogs, camping or sweating over a jigsaw puzzle.

Liz Brown – VCAL Coordinator

Liz is our new 2020 VCAL Coordinator who joined our NHS community in 2019. Liz is originally from England and teaches VCAL, Food Technology and Business Management. We are excited to see what Liz’s enthusiasm and dedication brings to our VCAL Program. Liz can be found in the Senior Sub-School Office.

Justine Sayers – Integration Aide

Justine joined the Student Services team last year in the role of Integration Aide. Justine is also originally from England and spent several years working as a secondary school librarian. Justine is an avid reader – ask her how many books she read over the summer holidays! She also likes to sew and she makes some of her own clothes.

Carly McLelland – Secondary School Nurse

Carly is our secondary school nurse and joined the Student Services team in Term Four of 2019. Carly works at NHS on Tuesdays and Fridays and is available to talk to students about health-related issues. In addition to her nursing qualifications, Carly is passionate about public health and has completed a Masters degree in this area.