Working in Catholic Education for 25 years has enabled me to witness and contribute to the emotional, spiritual and academic growth of many learners.  I love being a teacher!  Relationships are central to our work in this wonderful community, so please come in and say hello.

“I started working here in 2018 and love my role as Administration Officer.  It’s wonderful greeting new students and their families and witnessing each student’s development over their time here.   I enjoy being involved in the dynamic, vibrant and engaged community of our primary school.  My interests outside of school include cooking and entertaining, gardening and sharing time with my family and dogs.”

I’ve been working at St Thomas since 2020. I love working in this fast paced environment, where no two days are ever the same.  There are always a lot of laughs in the office with staff, families and of course, the children. When I’m not working, I love getting creative with craft projects and spending time with my family, friends and my dog! 

I’ve been working at St Thomas’ since 2022.  I enjoy getting to know the students and their families and watching their primary school journey.  I especially love bringing my dog Jasper to school with me!   When I am not working, I love to travel and spend time with my three daughters and my dogs. 

Jasper is our Emotional Support dog and is in training to qualify as a Therapy Dog.  He is almost 2 years old and is a Groodle.  He loves sticks, tennis balls and cheese!

Jasper visits us once a week and provides support and cuddles to students and staff!

I enjoy working with the Prep students one day a week. It is exciting and fulfilling to see how much they grow and change in one year. I love coming to school and growing and learning with the students.
I love working with the Junior Level, watching their imagination and independence grow and develop during the year. Outside of school I love being creative, whether it’s cooking, knitting or making things with my hands, I also enjoy watching my sons play sport.

I am so excited to have joined St Thomas’ in 2024. I love sharing those ‘wow’ moments with your children. Whether it is the surprise when they realise that they can read a word, the inquisitive questioning about the world around them or the sharing of stories about their own personal experiences. Outside of school, I love sharing adventures with my family such as camping, as well as going to the theatre.

I love being part of St Thomas’ community as I have always found it warm and welcoming.  Teaching is a privilege for me as it such a rewarding career.  I love to build relationships with the students and parents as we work together ensuring the best for each students’ education and development.  Outside of school I enjoy spending time with my extended family and close friends.

Although new to St. Thomas’ school, my passion for teaching has allowed me the opportunity to work with many different students all around the world. I get immense pleasure from working alongside students to help them to connect with their learning, deepen their understanding and build their confidence in their abilities. We are all lifelong learners in the world we live in today and I continue my learning journey too.

At school, I love collaborating with my colleagues to plan and design new learning opportunities, and creating a flexible and exciting environment for all students where they are challenged, engaged, supported and valued. Outside of school I love to spend time with my family, watch the footy and travel. 

I am thrilled to be a part of the St Thomas’ community. I adore working with children and creating a safe, positive and collaborative learning environment for every student, where they feel comfortable to take risks with their learning, whilst taking pride in their efforts. Relationships are always at the core of my teaching, where I love ensuring that every student is valued and brings their talents and strengths to the classroom and beyond. I believe in teaching children how to think, not what to think, and absolutely love learning from them as well. 

When I’m not at school, I cherish spending time with my family and friends, baking cakes (and sampling them!), reading in the sun, enjoying live music and following my beloved Pies!

My name is Brian Whitehouse and I am a Year 3/4 Teacher (Monday – Wednesday).  One of the best parts about being a staff member at St Thomas’ is the wonderful community feel we have right across the school. It really makes it a fantastic place to teach and learn. I have taught every age group from Prep to Year 6 and I work hard to ensure that the lessons I teach are engaging, hands-on and targeted towards building the skills of every student in the class. I have been very lucky to have taught some amazing children with incredibly supportive families in my time at St Thomas’.   Outside of school, I enjoy spending time with my wife and two sons and our very lovable fur daughter – Goldie the Labrador.

Father of two sons aged 16 and 10. I worked in the corporate sector for 20 years and made the decision to move into the teaching profession. Working with children of all ages is enormously satisfying. I enjoy being able to impact students’ lives and help to build their social, emotional and academic skills. 

I have always loved teaching and believe each individual has the potential to gain ‘a love for learning’. I am  committed to the social and academic growth and development of every child and always want to see a smile on everyone’s face as they enter my classroom

Teaching is something I have always wanted to do, even from a young age. I joined this wonderful profession as a catholic teacher because I wanted to inspire students, empower them, foster a love for learning, develop their faith and help them realise their full potential. I think education is a transformative tool and I am committed to positively impacting young people and shaping the future leaders of tomorrow. If I am not teaching, I usually spend time with my daughter and husband making the most of the weekends. 

As leader of Learning Diversity, my role is to ensure that we provide an inclusive environment for all students. I am passionate about supporting students with special needs and enjoy supporting our teachers with programs and strategies to assist these students to reach their learning goals. 

I’ve been at St Thomas’ for twelve years, taking my years teaching to 24 across both Catholic and Government systems. I have taught across most levels in my time including 1/2, 3/4, and 5/6. I have been a Specialist PE teacher at St Thomas’ for eleven years and the Student Wellbeing Leader for six years.

My name is Phil Byrnes. I have been teaching for a number of years in a variety of primary schools across the northern, western, southern and eastern suburbs of Melbourne.  I have also spent some years teaching in the Mallee. I have a passion to educate children and expand their thinking.

I became a primary school teacher in  2013 after working in the disability sector for 15 plus years. I had always wanted to be a primary teacher as I have a passion for working with children, and a strong belief  that every child has the right to reach their full potential with high quality education.  I am very excited and proud to be a part of the St Thomas community.

I have been fortunate to be part of the warm and welcoming St Thomas the Apostle community, starting as a classroom teacher and now as the Performing Arts teacher. Throughout my time here, I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing our students’ remarkable growth in creativity and talent. Our school’s performances are a standout for me, where our students truly shine, displaying their diverse talents. Outside of my teaching, I find joy in spending quality time with my family and playing basketball and netball.

I became a teacher because I love working with children and witnessing the joy they experience when they learn a new skill. I aim to create lessons which encourage the students to use their hands, hearts and heads. Teaching is an extremely rewarding profession and forming meaningful connections with students is important to me. When I am not teaching, I love to spend time being active and outdoors with my own children

My name is Cathy Bell and I am the Visual Arts teacher at St. Thomas the Apostle Primary School. I feel extremely lucky to be able to share my love of art and love of teaching with our incredible students. I believe in creating a supportive and inclusive environment where our students feel free to express themselves through art. Outside of school, I love spending time with my family, friends and my two dogs.

My name is Nicole Cordeiro and I have been an LSO at St. Thomas’ for the past 7 years. I enjoy working with students and assisting them to reach their goals. The staff at St. Thomas are very friendly and supportive and I love being a part of the team.

I have recently started as an LSO here at St Thomas the Apostle Primary School as I am currently studying towards my teaching degree. It has been such a great experience working with the staff and children from all year levels and assisting in their learning and development. Outside of school I enjoy spending time with my family, friends and cat.

I have been with St Thomas for 18 years.  It gives me immense pleasure to assist children learn, grow and achieve their goals.  I continue to enjoy this journey.

I have been a Learning Support Officer at St Thomas’ for 7 years now and love it.

Coming soon!

I started working as an LSO at St Thomas’ in 2016. I enjoy encouraging children to learn and grow to reach their full potential. Outside of work I relish spending time with my family and walking along the beach at Dromana.

My name is Zoi Psomiadis and I have been an LSO at St Thomas the Apostle for over five years, mostly supporting students in grades 3-6.  A major reason I am an LSO is that I find  connecting and assisting students to achieve their learning goals very rewarding. 

Coming Soon!

I was welcomed by the St Thomas team in 2017 and have enjoyed supporting our students & seeing their progress over the years. Many great friendships have made with staff which is another reason why St Thomas is special to me. Outside of work, I enjoy time with my family, travelling, art & movies. 

I started at St Thomas’ in 2020. Since then I have worked across all year levels and had the pleasure of getting to know so many students and their families. Watching the students grow in their learning and achieving their goals gives me so much pleasure. The most important impression I have of St Thomas’ is the community spirit within our school. 

New to St Thomas’ this year, I come from a background at a Special Needs school and in Disability Support. Outside of work, my passions are art, music, reading and catching up with family and friends. Having only been at St Thomas’ for a short time so far, it’s shown an amazing sense of community and I’m excited to become a part of that.