Lien Barnabas
Educator
Hello, St John’s community!
My name is Lien and I will be one of the Educators in Prep Hub. The Prep Hub holds a special place in my heart, so I am very excited to be back in that space in 2023.
I am a passionate learner and educator, I strive to continue to learn and grow in the ever-evolving world of education. I feel fortunate to be part of the St John’s community and to work alongside educators that put children at the centre of everything we do and strive to meet the individual needs of each child. My passion is to create learning spaces that are engaging and intentional where children can explore, wonder and use their imagination. I believe the learning environment is a space where children develop their social skills, creativity, independence and resilience. As an educator, I love learning about each child’s story, listening to their voice and celebrating the uniqueness in every child.
Outside of school, I love spending time with my daughters Alicia, Emily, Madeline and our new puppy, Peggy. We love spending time with our friends and family and always have big family gatherings, we enjoy cooking and eating together.
Hello everyone! My name is Maddy and I will be one of the educators in the Prep Hub this year. This is my first year at St John’s, and I am so excited to join the community.
I have recently moved from Sydney, where I have been living and teaching for the past four years. I was drawn to St John’s due to their child-centered approach to 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 fourth 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.
When I’m not at school you can find me reading, painting, at the movies or on a walk. Being new to Melbourne, I am looking forward to exploring the city!
Maddy Flynn
Educator
Shona Pantazopoulos
Hi St John’s Community,
My name is Shona and I am from Mildura. My family and I have moved to Melbourne for the past 12 months for my daughter to play soccer professionally. I am excited to be part of the St John’s community and the Prep Hub in 2023. 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
Trisha Wheeler
Educator (Intervention)
Hello! My name is Trisha 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 ten 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 Learning Intervention, providing small group support for students and working closely with teachers to help children achieve their learning goals.
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!