This year, it has been wonderful to welcome Mrs Nicole Ginnane to the School as Associate Head (K-6).
Nicole commenced in the new role at the beginning of this term, bringing with her a breadth and depth of experience and a strong focus on educating the whole child. Nicole has held a number of senior positions in schools in Victoria and New South Wales and most recently held the position of Deputy Principal and Head of Junior School at Ruyton Girls’ School in Melbourne.
In order for our School community to get to know our new Associate Head (K-6), the students from Kindergarten to Year 6 developed a list of questions to ask Nicole.
Reading with students from Botanica Group.
Here are the students’ questions and Nicole’s replies:
What’s your favourite colour? – Izzy, Arbor Group
My favourite colour was purple when I was younger, now I like all of the colours of the rainbow.
Do you have any cats? – Lulu, Floris Group
We have one tabby cat, her name is Lily and she is 3 years old. She has beautiful green eyes. My son also has two cats which I call my grand-kittens, their names are Coco and Lucifer. Coco is black and Lucifer is black and white and they are brother and sister, they are the cheekiest cats I have ever met.
Do you like reading books? – Jimmy, Prep
I love reading books and I read every night before I go to bed. My favourite authors are Tim Winton, Ian McEwan and Margaret Atwood. I love stories about people, ordinary people and how they deal with the many things that happen in life. When I was young I was obsessed with mystery stories, and I devoured the Alfred Hitchcock series called Three Investigators. There were three boys who were detectives and they solved all sorts of mysteries. There were 43 books in the series and I read them over and over again, two or three a week until I knew them off by heart.
Mrs Ginnane reading a story for students in Botanica Group.
What’s your favourite food and drink? – Elora, Year 1
My favourite food is anything Italian – pasta, gelato and tiramisu are delicious. It is especially good when you are eating Italian food in Italy. My favourite thing to drink is tea.Do you like to draw? – William, Year 1
I do like drawing but only if no one is looking. I don’t spend as much time drawing as I should so I am not confident, but if I practised more I am sure I would be able to improve. My son Zachary is a great drawer. I really admire the ability to express ideas through drawing, it is very clever.What are you passionate about? – Felix, Year 3
I am passionate about learning and especially helping children to learn. I think that is the main reason why I have not left school yet. I have been going to a school every day since I was five years old, which is a long time!I am also passionate about my family, I have three children and I try my best to look after them – even though they are big now.
What do you like to do in your spare time? – James, Year 4
I like to walk my dog, read books, and I also enjoy doing yoga or pilates. I start each day with either a yoga or pilates class. I love going to the beach – my perfect day involves a book and the beach.I also like to spend time with my children, I try to do things with them that they like doing together. My daughter Holly likes to cook and has recently become interested in gardening, she especially loves roses. My daughter Jade likes when we do yoga together and my son likes it when I cook for him and when I take him out for dinner.
Why did you choose to become a teacher? – Remy, Year 4
I chose to become a teacher because I love learning so much. When I was in school I had some wonderful teachers and they showed me how amazing learning could be when you have a teacher who is passionate, who knows you well and knows how to get the best out of you. For me, it was the encouragement and sometimes a little push to try new things. I have a strong memory of being in Year 7 and my teacher tried really hard to encourage me to join the Debating Team, which I was scared to do and so I kept saying no. When I finally tried debating I found that I loved it. I wish I had been more of a risk taker, but for me, I needed encouragement before I would give things a go.What is your favourite animal? – Will, Botanica Group
I love all animals. I visited the zoo on the weekend and I spent some time with the lemurs. I loved watching them, they are very social and seem happy and content. I also liked seeing the giraffes.What type of music do you like? – Angie, Year 6
I like listening to all sorts of music, when I was in Year 6 I was a major Abba Fan! I would listen to my Abba records and dance around the house which was very annoying to everyone else. I still know all of the words to every Abba song but they’re not my favourite band anymore.Do you like vegetables? – Valentino, Botanica Group
I love vegetables, I am vegetarian so vegetables are definitely my favourite. My favourite vegetables are zucchini and eggplant, I also love potatoes.
If you have any questions for Nicole or would simply like to say hello, she can often be seen at the Marlton gate, greeting students and families as they arrive in the morning. We encourage you to stop by and introduce yourself next time you visit the School.
