Welcome Back

Julianne Haggerty, Leana Martin and Susan Hosking

When staff come back to the College after leaving to go elsewhere, it certainly says a lot for the school. This year we have seen three staff who had previously left, come back to the College, bringing with them new experiences and new skills. 

Julianne Haggerty returns to the Science Department. Leana Martin is taking on the position of Head of Careers, and Susan Hosking returns to the Health & Physical Education Department. 

But what have they been doing in the time since they left us? 

Leana Martin

I left Santa Maria College at the end of 2018 after having my third child. I started at Corpus Christi College 10 months later as part-time Workplace Learning Coordinator. This suited my life circumstances and allowed me to gain valuable experience working with industry and at another school. During this time, I completed my Graduate Certificate in Career Development through RMIT.

I have always enjoyed working at Santa Maria, after first starting in 2010. The students, staff and work environment make this community so welcoming and great to work in. When I returned a couple of weeks ago, just walking through the corridors and seeing the familiar faces of work colleagues and students, I felt settled straight away.

I am now the Head of Careers and Transition at the College. My role is to advise students on tertiary courses and entrance requirements, TISC and other post-secondary options. I am involved in the Year 10 course counselling process, and I work closely with Maryanne Hughes, Head of ACCESS, WPL, VET and Endorsed Programs. 

Coming back, I’m excited to put my Graduate Certificate in career development into practice and have more extensive involvement in career counselling which is where my passion lies.

Before I left the College, I was involved in workplace learning and over the last few years, I have spent even more time in this area. The opportunity of gaining real-life work experience is invaluable. I encourage students to take up this opportunity whenever they can. This week, Curtin University has launched a work experience program tailored for women in the mines during the school holidays. This would be a fantastic opportunity for our students looking to get into the mining sector. I am excited to share these opportunities and encourage our students to take on new challenges. 

Susan Hosking

My family and I moved to Sydney. When we returned to Perth, I decided to take on a new challenge and started working in a human resources (HR) department in the city. I enjoyed the opportunity to diversify my working experience and learn new skills.

While working in HR, I also did some relief teaching at Santa Maria. During one of my lessons teaching basketball to a class of Year 6s, I realised I missed the fun interactions with students and seeing how they grasped new skills. That evening I decided I missed teaching and wanted to return to Santa Maria as soon as an opportunity became available. Here I am!

I am a Health & Physical Education Teacher. I teach Year 5s, 7s and 8s, and I am involved in the co-curricular sports program. One of the advantages of my new role is that I work part-time, which compliments my family commitments.

I have always loved learning and took this value into the corporate world. The experience I gained from working in human resources gave me a greater understanding of what businesses look for from students when they leave the education system. A memorable experience was when I coordinated a large International Women’s Day event. I applied project management skills that I had developed to successfully plan and deliver an event for 200 staff with guest speaker presentations from a diverse range of female leaders and mentors.

Julianne Haggerty

I’ve been living and working in Tokyo with my family. I taught science at Seisen International School, a Catholic Girls School founded by the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  

Returning from Japan, I wanted to return to Santa Maria because I love the community feel, and I have always felt a real sense of belonging at the College. 

I’m excited to be back and share my science knowledge and stories with the girls. My favourite part of teaching is creating positive relationships with my students, and I have always found it very easy to do this at Santa Maria.  

During my time away from Santa Maria, I have learned so much about Japan, other countries’ school systems and how an International Baccalaureate school works. I have learned that teenage girls are the same the world over. I’ve done earthquake drills, worn my spirit wear to a pep rally and celebrated thanksgiving and Halloween. I helped my Homeroom put together a care package for the needy for Christmas and it was interesting to see the different ingredients they asked for versus what we would put in a hamper here. I was required to teach a few new areas, and I’ve come home with additional skills and knowledge in these areas. I look forward to sharing my experiences and stories with the girls. 

What A Term! So Many Opportunities – Jennifer Oaten

As I look back on the past nine weeks, I am so grateful for who we are as a community and what we have achieved. Through the dedication of our staff and the enthusiasm of our students, we have established new connections, immersed ourselves in opportunities and worked through challenges.

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