Meet The Teachers
We’re excited to meet you!
At the top of the list when measuring the quality of a school has to be the quality of the teaching staff. We are beyond fortunate to have a team of teachers truly dedicated to positive outcomes for all children.
Meet our teachers below!
Leadership & Administration

David Mutimer
Principal
I love my job!
My favourite times include when I interact with our beautiful students: on the playground, learning in the classrooms or in various extra curricular activities.
When not at school I like to spend family time with my wife, 4 children and our dog, Kevin.

Carmel Foster
Deputy Principal
St James is a great place to be! I find it an absolute privilege to be part of children’s lives, walking with them as they grow, learn and meet challenges along the way. I’ve met so many families and loved watching lifelong friendships form.

Maree Prendergast
Administration Officer
I really enjoy working in the office at St James managing the finances and the other everyday activities that make the office a very busy place. I also enjoy getting to know the families as well as the students. On the weekend you will find me in the garden

Deb Lowe
Administration Officer
St James is an amazing place to work! I love the face to face interaction with new and current families as well as with the students. In my spare time I enjoy playing lawn bowls.

Jess Waters
Learning Diversity Leader
I love working within the St James community! My role allows me to interact with students across all levels. I provide support and advice to teachers and parents as to how we can work together to support a student’s learning.

Cathy Dimitrakopoulos
Literacy/Learning and Teaching Leader
I love learning and I love teaching! Working at St James enables me to contribute to the learning and development of students in their academic, social, spiritual, emotional and physical growth.
On weekends, my husband, daughters and I enjoy spending time on the Mornington Peninsula with family and friends.
Prep Teachers

Tess Odgers
Prep Teacher
St James is a welcoming and vibrant community. I love seeing the smiles on my Prep’s faces each day and witnessing their enthusiasm, not only in learning new skills and knowledge, but developing confidence within themselves. When I’m not working I love travelling and spending time with family and friends.

Andrea Kinsella
Prep Teacher
I love teaching Prep and building relationships with the children in my care and their families. So much growth occurs in Prep – It is a joy to witness their development and success in their learning- When home, I love spending time with my family.

Louise Carty
Prep Teacher
My name is Louise Carty and I have been working in Prep at St James for many years. St James is a beautiful school and I love working there. I considerate it a privilege being part of such a caring and engaging community.
Year 1/2 Teachers

Cassie Pascoe
Year 1 Teacher
Everyday, here at St James is different, and it is a constant adventure! I love seeing the students develop their love for learning and supporting one another.
Outside of work I enjoy getting outdoors, being active and spending time with my family and my dog, Pippa.

Dani Callanan
Year 1 Teacher
I love my job! The first thing I noticed when I came to St James is it’s welcoming community. My favourite thing about my job is building relationships with the students and their families. When I’m not at school I enjoy spending time with my family and my 2 dogs.

James Sweatman
Year 2 Teacher
I am fortunate enough to work with a wonderful team at St James! In particular I enjoy the opportunity to help each student develop their passion for life-long learning. Outside of school I enjoy running and bike riding, iced coffees, and petitioning my wife for a puppy.

Monica DeLeo
Year 2 Teacher
St James is a warm and inviting community of learners where all are welcome! Students and teachers are made to feel special and valued. Outside of school, I love to spend time with my husband and two children – they certainly keep me on my toes!

Bern Broderick
Year 2 Teacher
I love working at St James. I have worked in both a full time and part time capacity for many years now and have always found there to be happy vibe around the place. I love watching young children develop new skills and become more confident as the year progresses.
Year 3/4 Teachers

Kayleigh Fitzgerald
Year 3, P.E and Student Wellbeing Leader
I love working at St James! The best part is building relationships with the students and their families. The sense of welcome and community makes this a wonderful place to be!
When I’m not teaching I enjoy being active in the great outdoors!

Siumi Jayawardane
Year 3 Teacher
I love working at St James! The community is so supportive and welcoming. I love teaching a range of diverse students and believe there is no greater reward than seeing your students succeed and flourish. Outside of school, I enjoy shopping, reading and spending time with my family and friends!

Anne Hayes
Year 3 Teacher
Teaching is such a rewarding job. I love working with the students in my class, seeing them learn and acquire new skills and knowledge, as they support and encourage each other with their learning. When not at school, I enjoy family time and travelling to different parts of Australia.

Amy Darvell
Year 4 Teacher
Every day at St James is a new adventure filled with fun, learning and laughter. It’s my hope that each child feels loved and empowered to achieve more than they ever thought they could. When I’m not at school, I enjoy travelling and spending time with my family and friends.

Tim Flintoff
Year 4 Teacher
I love seeing the excitement of the kids and their smiling faces as they come into the classroom each morning.
Weekends are filled with watching my kids play sport and continuing my quest for the perfect tomato in my veggie patch!
Year 5/6 Teachers

Daniel Egan
Year 5 Teacher
Hello, I’m new this year but very excited to join the St James team. I’ve heard lots of great things about your community and you have all certainly made my transition here very easy!
At home, I like spending time with my wife, our two kids and our two dogs!

Tracey O'Connor
Year 5 Teacher
I love being a teacher at St James, and have have enjoyed working with many students and families in this wonderful community. I find working with children both fun and rewarding! When not at work I enjoy spending time with my family.

Veronica Brightwell
Year 6 Teacher
I love the energy and community at St James. The Year 6s are full of joy, enthusiasm and a zest for learning. When I am home, I love to spend time watching movies and playing Monopoly with my daughter and husband.

Joshua Crowe
Year 6 Teacher / Numeracy Leader
I love watching the children develop their mathematical skills and seeing students develop a love for mathematics. In my spare time I enjoy playing tennis and cheering on the mighty Tigers with my two young children.

Kath Verstraete
Year 6 Teacher
I have been at St James for many years – in full-time and part-time classroom positions. I absolutely love my work and am fortunate to be in a school with like-minded, passionate and committed staff. Outside of school, my passions are travelling, bush-walking, camping and reading.
Specialised Teachers

Anne Gleeson
Visual Arts Teacher
I absolutely love teaching Visual Arts.
I endeavour to make the art room a happy place for building art skills and exploring creativity.
Working part time I enjoy more time with family, especially our three granddaughters. Craft, gardening and walks with our Cavoodle are favourite pastimes.

Claire Feild
Physical Education Teacher
I love teaching Physical Education at St James! I love seeing our students enthusiasm, enjoyment and development of their skills as they participate in the huge variety of physical activities we have on offer.
Outside of school I love spending time with family and friends, cheering on the mighty Kangaroos!

Naomi Carson
Auslan Teacher
I’m privileged to share the beautiful language of Auslan with our students at St James. I appreciate the friendly atmosphere at this school and the enthusiasm the children have for sign language.
I enjoy adventuring with my young family on weekends, beach-combing and baking sweet treats.

Jo Booth
Reading Recovery and Literacy Support Teacher
I love teaching at St.James.
The students have a real love for learning and the parents are friendly and supportive.
The staff at St. James are amazing,they work as a team for the benefit of all the students.
When not working I enjoy time with family and friends and travelling.
Learning Support Officers

Jo Matarazzo
Library Technician
I love to help students find a book, or even better, a series or author who they love. I also love, love buying books for everyone. At the moment I’m teaching myself how to crochet, it’s not as easy as it looks!

Cath Ferlazzo
Learning Support Officer
I love my Learning Support Officer role at St James. I feel that working with young students and assisting with their learning is a great privilege. When not at St James I like to be with my family, doing lots of gardening, cooking, and spending time with my friends.

Amanda Freeman
Learning Support Officer
St James is a wonderful school to be part of as an LSO. A caring community and a warm sense of belonging.I am grateful for the teaching of our Catholic faith and the support and care of the Parish within our school.
I love spending time with friends and family.

Antoinette Moroney
Learning Support Officer
I feel so lucky to be part of such a wonderful team at St James . My favourite part is sharing learning time with the students and enjoying their huge energy out in the playground.
When I’m not at school love spending time with my family at the beach.

Janelle Thorsen
Learning Support Officer
Working at St James is such a privilege. I work in many different year levels and find each of them rewarding. Each day is a new and exciting challenge.
In my spare time, I love travelling and spending time with my husband and children.

Daniela Calcagno
Learning Support Officer
I’m proud of being part of a wonderful community at St James. I enjoy working with a range of students, collaborating with teachers and interacting with children on the playground.
Out of school I love spending time with my husband and two children and baking for the staff.

Louise Morse
Learning Support Officer
I thoroughly enjoy all aspects of my learning support role. I feel quite privileged to be able to help children access the curriculum and achieve the best possible learning outcomes. On weekends I enjoy spending time with my family at Phillip Island where we like to fish and relax together.

Victoire Gibson
Learning Support Officer
I am very lucky to be part of the Saint James community. I love to interact with the students and feel privileged to support their learning.When I am with my family, we love going for walks with our furry friends.

Rebecca Zani
Learning Support Officer
It’s a privilege to work with students to achieve the best possible learning outcomes and I love my support role. The St James Vermont community is wonderful to be part of.
Away from work I enjoy travelling with our caravan and weekends away water skiing.

Betty Antoniou
Learning Support Officer
St James is a great school . I thoroughly enjoy working and supporting the students and teachers. I particularly find it rewarding seeing the children’s growth , achieving their own confidence and individual goals.
Outside of school I enjoy spending time with my family and exploring the outdoors.
Start With Our Online Tour →
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Meet our principal, teachers, current students, parents, learn about our curriculum opportunities and tips for a smooth start to school.
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