Maddy Flynn
Educator
Hello everyone! My name is Maddy and I will be one of the educators in the Prep Hub this year. This is my second year teaching Prep at St. John’s. Prior to this, I have taught in Sydney and country Western Australia.
I am passionate about educating the whole child, and connect with St. John’s commitment to holistic learning.I believe that by placing children’s interests, strengths, needs and identity at the core of the teaching and learning program, children thrive. This is my fifth year teaching Prep. I love being a part of children’s first year of formal schooling, and seeing their independence, confidence and resilience grow throughout the year.
In my spare time, I love cooking, going for walks, reading, and enjoying all the amazing food that Melbourne has to offer.
I am looking forward to another amazing year in the Prep Hub!
Trisha Wheeler
Educator (Intervention)
Hello! My name is Trish and I am so excited to be a member of the St. John’s community, not only as a parent, but now as an educator! I have been teaching for eleven years now and completed my Masters of Teaching (Primary) at Melbourne University.
I feel incredibly privileged to be working at a school that puts children at the heart of everything we do! I truly believe that students learn best through rich, authentic play and discovery based experiences and that student wellbeing is of the utmost importance. My aim is to empower children to take risks, think creatively, problem solve and, of course, have a LOT of fun!
I will be working in the Prep Hub which is one of my favourite places to be! I am so excited to learn, play and discover with the newest members of our St. John’s community!
When I am not at St. John’s, you might find me at the dog park with my crazy Kelpie, Lucy, or at the local playgrounds with my daughters, Frankie and Nina. I love the beach and spending time on my boogie board up in Ocean Grove and I am hoping to give surfing a red hot go this Summer!
I can’t wait to get to know all of our St. John’s families even better this year!
Shona Pantazopoulos
Hi St John’s Community,
My name is Shona and I am from Mildura. My family and I moved to Melbourne 2 years ago for my daughter to play soccer professionally. I am excited to be part of the St John’s community and the Prep Hub in 2024. I look forward to learning alongside the children and I am passionate about supporting them to learn, grow and discover new things.
In my downtime I like to garden, spend time with my family and friends and I also spend a lot of time watching my daughter play soccer.
Co-Educator
Erin Schembri
Educator
Hi, I'm Erin and I teach Engaging With Place, which combines learning about the perspectives of our local First Nations People, the Wurundjeri people, and growing and caring for our farm space.
Sustainability is a major passion of mine, so I like to create immersive opportunities for children to engage with the land, like: growing our own organic food and reducing our green waste by composting and worm farming.
I will also have the opportunity to join the Prep, Three and Four teams. I’m looking forward to building strong relationships and co-constructing children’s projects.
When I’m not at St. John’s, I’m exploring every corner of the beautiful parks and lakes that surround Melbourne with my husband and sons, Hunter and Gene. Besides exploring, we love to dance, garden, swim and whip up batches of banana pancakes.