Episode 1
SPOTLIGHT ON: Teacher Insight featuring Nicole Sheridan
Nicole Sheridan is a kindergarten teacher at Our Lady Star of the Sea Miranda. She is extremely passionate about the Performing Arts with Dance being her area of expertise – she’s always looking for ways to incorporate it into the life of the school! Nicole has been involved in organising flash mobs, inspirational online dance videos during COVID-19, whole school musicals, school dance ensembles, CaSPA regional squads and liturgical movement workshops with John Burland. Her current project is an upcoming theatrical performance, involving the whole school in ‘Aladdin’ the musical. She loves nothing more than seeing her students shine on stage!
Episode 2
SPOTLIGHT ON: Teacher Insight featuring Gabby Bermingham
Gabby was fortunate to be born into a very musical family as one of ten children all of whom are obsessed with music. She’s been involved in music as a singer, actor and piano player for her whole life. For a while she worked as a jazz singer and has continued to perform when the opportunity presented itself. Gabby has been a teacher for over 30 years, sometime generalist but mostly a primary music specialist. Gabby has dedicated the last 10 years in particular to professional development and improved practice in music education. She has also developed much enthusiasm and love for choral teaching and conducting. She has very recently started her own Performing Arts company called Young Sydney Sings which has been very exciting.
Episode 3
SPOTLIGHT ON: Teacher Insight featuring Georgia Andreacchio
Georgia has been teaching Drama for six years from Kindergarten to Year 12 and she has been teaching Drama to Years 9-12 at St Mary’s Cathedral College for the past 3 years. She holds a Master’s degree in secondary teaching and has conducted research on developing student autonomy in individual projects. Georgia has trained primary school teachers on implementing Drama in their classroom. She is passionate about developing theatrical skill to a professional standard and fostering a positive collaborative approach in the high school classroom. Georgia has trained as an actor through various programs at NIDA from a very young age. She has extensive training in the methods of Stanislavski, Laban, Viewpoints and Strasburg. Georgia has acquired roles in film and television and is trained in vocals and dance. She has worked with Junior and Senior Drama ensembles and has held numerous roles in the CaSPA programs. She has staged student productions on a small and large scale and has worked on numerous ‘Theatre in Education’ productions as a director and scriptwriter. This year Georgia was elected to serve on the Drama NSW committee and is privileged to be part of the peak state body that represents and advocates on behalf of all drama teachers in NSW.
Episode 4
SPOTLIGHT ON: Teacher Insight featuring Ravilya Sedlar
Ravilya Sedlar is the music teacher at two primary schools; Our Lady of the Assumption North Strathfield and St Francis Xavier Ashbury. Ravilya has experience in the music industry as a performer with the Australian Army Band and choir conductor and accompanist for Sing Australia. She has also been involved in organising virtual concerts during COVID-19, whole school musicals and conducting choral workshops with adults. She is particularly passionate about creating authentic music experiences using a variety of methods such as the Orff music teaching method.
Episode 5
SPOTLIGHT ON: Teacher Insight featuring Joanne Furnari
Having studied Music and Fine Arts, Joanne Furnari began her teaching career at St John’s Girls’ High School Auburn in 1983. While raising two young children, she established keyboard and choir programs for local primary schools and initiated an early childhood music program in the Sutherland Shire. For the past 21 years, Joanne has taught Music, Visual Arts and Drama at Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC) Burraneer where she is the CAPA coordinator. She is passionate about the arts in education, and has a particular love for Musical Theatre and the opportunity it provides for students to merge various art forms. She has performed in many local theatrical productions and has designed and directed over 20 shows for OLMC.
Episode 6
SPOTLIGHT ON: Teacher Insight featuring Monica Palmer
Monica Palmer has been Principal of St Mary’s Georges Hall since 2018. She has been teaching for 29 years in primary schools including Parramatta, Sydney Diocese and overseas. During her time at St Mary’s Georges Hall she has enjoyed some wonderful creative pursuits including silver and gold medalist National Aerobics Champions, students in the Christmas Art Competition and linking to high schools to create murals.
Episode 7
SPOTLIGHT ON: Teacher Insight featuring Melanie Fayd’herbe
Melanie is a Sydney-based freelance artist, Secondary Dance teacher and Yoga facilitator. She has been teaching Dance in secondary schools for over a decade specialising in Stage 6 Dance. Melanie is also a qualified Drama and VET Entertainment teacher and an experienced HSC Dance Practical marker for NESA. In her freelance career, she has toured nationally and internationally with Shaun Parker & Company and worked for Australian Companies/Artists including Branch Nebula, Ghenoa Gela, Martin del Amo, Kristina Chan, Force Majeure, Taikoz, Liz Lea, Jason Pitt and Narelle Benjamin. She is also a founding member of Dance Makers Collective (DMC) working in the company both as a performer/collaborator and as education officer, designing dance education programs for primary and secondary students in NSW.
Episode 8
SPOTLIGHT ON: Teacher Insight featuring Hayley Flowers
Hayley Flowers is a graduate from The University of Wollongong, completing a Bachelor of Performance Degree in the Faculty of Creative Arts and a Bachelor of Teaching in Drama and English (Secondary) through Charles Sturt University. Hayley is highly skilled in teaching performance, in particular comedy, Improvisation, Stanislavski, Shakespeare and HSC Drama. Hayley has recently returned from LA after training with The Groundlings School and also promoting her original series, “Hei and Lo” which took out LA WEBFEST Outstanding Achievement Award for “Best Lead Actress in a Drama” and was nominated for “Best Script Writing” as well as her co-star. You can see her as “Grace” in the thriller feature film Guilt and she has directed the play Jasper Jones along with many other school based productions as the Head of Performance at Marcellin College Randwick. Her next major production is Parenthood – in the role of “Mother”, as she gets ready to have her baby!
Episode 10
SPOTLIGHT ON: Teacher Insight featuring Leonie Johnson
Leonie Johnson has been the Music and Drama teacher at St Catherine Laboure Gymea for 10 years and is currently teaching in her school’s Newman Vocals and Drama Ensemble programs – from school choirs, musicals, liturgical music, even teacher flash mobs! Her school placed in all sections of the inaugural Sydney Catholic Schools Eisteddfod and was the overall winner of the Primary Schools section. Leonie loves seeing the joy and confidence the arts bring to her students, and sense of community within her school. As well as teaching, she herself has also performed principal roles in numerous community theatre musicals.
