Teacher Feature

Zoe Girbau

What characteristic do you most admire in others? 

Kindness! It is such a simple thing and to spread kindness is so easy. It was said to me that you can’t often remember exactly what a person said or did but you can remember how they made you feel. This is true for me. Many teachers and adults who positively impacted me growing up, made me believe in myself and helped me to work hard and succeed. This is what I am always trying to do with the children at Monty. I believe happy kids learn best! 

What is something that you do to relax and unwind? 

I have always loved the water. I was a very keen pool and ocean swimmer growing up. I was a swim teacher and coach for many years and I just love diving into water. Every family holiday involved the beach or rivers or some body of water.

What’s the #1 most played song on your iPod? 

I have the music taste of an elderly lady and was recently gifted a record player. Jackie Wilson is a favourite. Next will be cups of tea on Saturday night! 

What did you want to be when you were younger? 

First an Olympic swimmer, then a teacher. Not even kidding. I had a whiteboard, teacher chair and very an educated array of toys. 

If you were to tell one person "Thank You" for helping me become the person I am today, who would it be and what did they do? 

SO many people I would thank… but it would have to be my mum. She taught me how to be kind, tough, resilient, persistent and to strive to be my best. 

Taylah Bourke

What characteristic do you most admire in others?

I really admire Resilience in others. I am always in awe seeing others cope with life’s challenges and bounce back after experiencing adversity. 

Fill in the blank: If you really knew me, you'd know_____

If you really knew me, you’d know I am a dedicated dog mum to Elvis and Molly. I constantly find ways to talk about my Greyhounds! 

Luckily, my partner Joe also loves our greyhounds. So, we talk each other’s ears off every day about all the cute and cheeky things Elvis and Molly get up to.

What super power would you like to have?

Whenever I get busy, I often say I need to grow more arms. I think it would be cool and super handy to grow extra arms when needed. Then I could become really good at multi-tasking! 

What did you want to be when you were younger?

When I was young, I wanted to be a Veterinarian. I have always had a passion for animals for as long as I can remember. Growing up, my family had lots of different pets. Throughout my childhood we had dogs, rabbits, fish and even a turtle! 

If you were to tell one person "Thank You" for helping me become the person I am today, who would it be and what did they do?

I would tell my late Grandpa thank you. He helped me become the person I am today. He played a big role in my childhood and taught me the importance of kindness. He would always be kind and was happy to have a conversation with literally anyone! Anyone who spoke to him left with a smile. 

I hope that I bring the same kindness to others every day.