JOHN MARSDEN
FOUNDER
John was born in Victoria, Australia in 1950. He attended The King’s School Parramatta, a strict military school in Sydney, and from there went on to the University of Sydney. However, he soon decided that a career in law looked too boring, so he dropped out and drifted around for nearly 10 years, trying different jobs, and earning just enough money to support himself.
When he was 28, he began a teaching course, which he loved from the start. Embarking on a teaching career, he also became more and more interested in writing, and in 1987 succeeded in getting his first book, “So Much to Tell You”, published. A string of huge hits followed, highlighted by the Tomorrow series and Ellie chronicles. John has now sold more than 2 1/2 million books in Australia alone, and over 5 million worldwide, with many major awards to his credit.
In 1998 he bought the Tye Estate, 850 acres of natural bush, on the northern edge of Melbourne, and later added the property next door. For eight years he ran enormously popular writers’ courses and camps at Tye, before starting his own school there, Candlebark, in 2006. Following ten successful years of running Candlebark, John founded Alice Miller School in 2016. John has published two books featuring the schools: Take Risks and The Art of Growing Up.
SARITA RYAN
PRINCIPAL
Sarita Ryan, MA(Ed), GradDipEd, BCreatArts, won a scholarship to become a full-time classical ballet student at the age of 16, but matriculated from school with entry to the Creative Arts/Law course at the University of Melbourne. However, after several years studying Creative Arts/Law, she decided on a different direction for her life, influenced by a stint of voluntary teaching in India. Her career in education saw her spend five years at Candlebark, interrupted by two years studying in Finland for her Master of Education and Developmental Studies. As part of her Master’s degree she spent time in Zambia and Ghana, working with the International Labour Organisation. During her course she won a number of awards, including the International Degree Students’ Scholarship, and the Rector’s Grant for international fieldwork. Sarita also won a scholarship from the Nordic Africa Institute in Sweden to undertake research at the Centre in 2012.
Sarita was the founding Head of Campus at Alice Miller, having been acting Principal of Candlebark on several occasions. She has an active life outside of education as a radio broadcaster and DJ.
MARK JOHNSTONE
HEAD OF CAMPUS, VCE PSYCHOLOGY
After gaining a B.A in Secondary Education and a B.A in Health Sciences, Mark spent the next 15
years teaching and working in a diverse range of settings including remote indigenous communities of Western Australia, snow-capped mountains of Lake Tahoe, inner-city schools of London and an American international school in Dubai teaching IB psychology. After his extensive travels, Mark settled back in Melbourne where he taught and held leadership positions in both Government and Catholic schools, delivering TSFX Master Class tutorials and revision lectures in VCE Psychology and gaining a Graduate Certificate in Curriculum Leadership along the way. Mark joined the Alice Miller staff in 2019, teaching Psychology and quickly establishing himself as a wise and compassionate leader within the school. During 2021 and 2022, he led the Wellbeing program with Skye Myers. From 2023, he will continue to teach VCE Psychology, while managing the operations of the school as Head of Campus.
SKYE MYERS
PHILOSOPHY, VCE COORDINATOR, WELLBEING COORDINATOR
Skye Myers, BA Dip Ed., began teaching Classical Studies almost twenty years ago at Bendigo Senior Secondary College. Skye wears a number of hats at Alice Miller. She teaches Philosophy to our VCE students and oversees the student academic programs and administrative components of the VCE. Skye established Alice Miller’s wellbeing program with Mark Johnstone, and, in 2023, will manage this program for the entire school.
Aside from being a die-hard advocate for the Greek Classical world over the Roman, Skye is a wife, mother, chicken wrangler, classical Cellist, yoga teacher, a devotee of starchy carbohydrates, and a very keen knitter and crochet-er.
MICHAEL BAXTER
PROPERTY MANAGER
Michael has a long and impressive history working in sets, props, and project and building maintenance for some of Australia’s leading arts organisations. He was the Production Designer, Workshop and Facility Manager at Circus Oz for over a decade, and created sets, props and circus equipment for shows and companies including the ‘Bluey’ USA and Australia tour, Paramount Pictures, Invisible Circus, Strange Fruit, and Raradara Physical Theatre. During the pandemic, Michael also worked as a Capital Works Project Manager & Facility Maintenance Works Manager for the Mitchell Shire Council.
AMY NAIVASHA
OUTDOOR EDUCATION AND SUSTAINABILITY, YEAR 9 COORDINATOR
As well as her qualifications in outdoor and environmental education, Amy has a degree in Natural Resources Education from Latrobe University. At Latrobe she was awarded the Student Association scholarship for outstanding contribution to the student community, in previous years she took trips for schools as diverse as St Phillips College Alice Springs, Geelong Grammar School (Timbertop), Taylors Lakes Secondary College, and Camp Kaitoke (Wellington, New Zealand). She has been strongly involved with Wollangarra Outdoor Education Centre.
Since joining Alice Miller in 2016, Amy has led an international trip to Italy and the Balkans, a number of extended walks including the Larapinta and Overland tracks, and countless other outdoor experiences that have fostered a passionate love for the outdoors and environment amongst the student community.
ANDY ELLIS
OUTDOOR EDUCATION, YEAR 9 COORDINATOR
With qualifications in Outdoor Education (Latrobe, Bendigo), Youthwork (Chisholm TAFE), and Education (Charles Darwin University), Andy has been leading groups of young people in the outdoors for eleven years. As a trip leader, Andy has worked for a vast range of institutions including Timbertop, Carey Baptist Grammar, St Philip’s in Alice Springs, and Mittagundi, where he also served as a board member. Andy recently worked at St Joseph’s Flexible Learning Centre, largely in a classroom teaching capacity.
ANNE BROWNING
DRAMA AND PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
Anne Browning B.A Dip. Act. Grad Dip. Ed. graduated from the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary College, and later, with a partner, started a youth theatre company in Perth, where they performed the first adaptation to the stage of works by Tim Winton. She taught at John Curtin Senior High School in Perth, before travelling internationally, which included stints teaching English in Belgium and working on a kibbutz in Israel. As a performer, Anne has appeared at La Mama, the Melbourne Theatre Company, the Queensland Theatre Company, the Playbox Theatre, and the Malthouse. She has directed for the Melbourne Theatre Company, Latrobe and Monash universities. She has been a teaching artist for the Victorian Arts Centre and ran VCE solo performance-making workshops for Malthouse Education. Anne teaches Drama, Theatre Studies and English at Alice Miller, along with coordinating the school’s productions.
ADRIAN WOOD
OUTDOOR EDUCATION, SUSTAINABILITY, WOODWORK
As an Outdoor Ed instructor and leader, Adrian has taken large groups cycling from top to bottom of Africa and South America and worked as an assistant OES leader at Glenaeon Steiner School in Sydney. Through his Bachelor of Arts, Outdoor Education Extended at La Trobe University, Adrian received the annual Jon Martin Memorial Award, which ‘recognises and encourages the fullest involvement in study and enjoyment of life involving the outdoors.’ He has cycled unassisted around Tasmania for four weeks to raise money for breast cancer research and for six weeks through New Zealand and a rather chilly four weeks through France in winter. He has additional specialties in sea kayaking, canoeing, white water rafting and winter alpine environments. Adrian teaches Outdoor and Environmental Studies and Woodwork to students in years 7-10 and leads a number of the school’s outdoor adventures.
DR BETTINA LYTHGOE
MATHS COORDINATOR
Dr Bettina Lythgoe, Ph.D., B.Agr.Eng, Dip.Ed. grew up in Argentina, the daughter of European parents. After graduating from high school she backpacked through Europe for a year, and later cycled through Patagonia, and hiked across the Andes. Later still she hitched a ride with the Chilean Navy to the Antarctic, before coming to Australia, where she gained her doctorate from the University of Melbourne in plant physiology and agronomy. In 2015 she began teaching senior mathematics at Candlebark and now coordinates the Mathematics department at Alice Miller. Bettina is trilingual, speaking English, Spanish and German. She is married with three young children.
DR CHRISTINE MATHIEU
HUMANITIES AND LANGUAGES
Dr Christine Mathieu, B.A. HON, Dip. Ed, PhD., was born and raised in France. She has lived in the UK, Australia, China, the United States and Spain. Christine is multilingual and is fluent in French, English, and Chinese, amongst others. She has taught at university level in the US and in Australia, as well as at Australian secondary schools. Christine is a professional anthropologist, educator, translator and author. Leaving Mother Lake, which she co-authored with Yang Erche Namu, was translated into fifteen languages. Her academic and professional fields are in ethnohistory and second language acquisition, Chinese studies, Chinese ethnic minority studies and art history, Aboriginal Australian Heritage, and Native Title research. Christine was one of the first western anthropologists to conduct fieldwork among the Mosuo people of southwest China. She is currently expert anthropologist for the Maduwongga people, now the registered traditional owners of the Kalgoorlie-Edjudina region in the WA Goldfields. Christine teaches French at Alice Miller.
CONAN O'BRIEN
MATHS, SCIENCE
As a teenager, Conan trained for the physics olympiad and travelled to Siberia to participate in an international mathematics competition. He graduated with an ATAR of 99 and completed a Bachelor of Science with first-class honours, before changing path and becoming a stage performer. Conan performed a mesmerising and visually spectacular soap bubble show accompanied by live improvised music that was a success at festivals and in theatres around Australia and internationally.
As a teacher, Conan began his career at remote schools in the Northern Territory. More recently he established the mechatronics program at Gungahlin College in Canberra where he supervised student projects both modest and ambitious, including sending a student-designed electronic sensor suite to 30000m on a high altitude balloon. Conan has also been involved in curriculum design, being the lead course writer for the ACT Electronics and Mechatronics curriculum. On the sporting field, Conan won the inaugural Australian championships in both mountain unicycling and unicycle hockey.
Conan teaches VCE Chemistry and Physics at Alice Miller School.
CONOR DIMASI
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Conor grew up in the Macedon Ranges, attending school a stone’s throw away from Alice Miller. After close to ten years in Melbourne, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Screen and Cultural Studies, a Master’s in Global Media Communication and a second in Teaching with First-Class Honours from the University of Melbourne, Conor is back home, heading the P.E. department and coordinating the Alice Miller Sports Program. He is an AFL tragic, holding strong allegiance with the Geelong Cats—but we won’t hold that against him. Conor is a keen runner in his spare time, eyeing off his first marathon in 2024.
DANNY DAKAK
MATHS
Danny has a passion for all things mathematics and digital technology, particularly statistics and data analysis. A Canadian native, he gained invaluable industry experience in research and analysis before embarking on a rewarding career in education. He has enjoyed working with inspiring teams dedicated to improving student outcomes and is excited to continue his journey at Alice Miller.
DAVE VERTIGAN
MEDIA AND MOTION MEDIA, TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Joining the Alice Miller staff in a full-time capacity in 2018, Dave Vertigan teaches VCE Media and the popular Motion Media elective. Dave studied Animation at the Victorian College of the Arts and has had production, voice-acting and post-production roles on a number of independent film projects. Two of Dave’s animated short films have been screened in international film festivals. His film “Undead Forever – Past-Death Hypnosis” was nominated for Best Achievement in Overall Design at the 2011 Animazing Spotlight festival in Los Angeles. Dave also has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Tasmanian School of Art and a Bachelor of Teaching from the University of Tasmania, specialising in secondary Visual Art and Multimedia. He has extensive and varied experience working in the disability support sector. A keen skateboarder, Dave also runs a small business producing limited and custom skateboard components.
DONNA PRINCE
DRAMA, THEATRE STUDIES
Donna has been a well-loved staff member at Candlebark since 2009, where she taught English and Drama across the senior year levels. She teaches Drama and the language subject, Text To Performance, for Years 7-10 at Alice Miller. Donna is passionate about the full gamut of theatre production, and her classes involve acting, set and costume design, lighting and sound. Donna has facilitated the participation of Alice Miller students in two Village Festivals, where students were involved in live performance, set building, festival set up and pack down, and pyrotechnics. Donna also runs the
‘Explosions Club’ at Alice Miller.
GLENDA EARLE
LITERACY SPECIALIST
Glenda has a Diploma of Teaching (Primary), a Bachelor of Education and a Masters in Special Education, and provides literacy and learning support across the Alice Miller and Candlebark campuses. Her focus is on supporting students that learn differently and supporting their overall social and emotional development. An expert in cognitive load theory and explicit teaching methodologies, Glenda also provides professional development to our academic staff. Prior to joining Candlebark, Glenda worked in rural Queensland and Thailand as a teacher, with other stints in educational publishing and as a pharmaceutical representative.
HARTLEY MITCHELL
HUMANITIES
Hartley Mitchell, MA, M.Ed., B.Phil., Dip.Ed., Dip Arts, has had a distinguished career in education. He was formerly Head of History at Geelong College, Head of Staff Development at Geelong College, Deputy Principal and Head of Corio at Geelong Grammar School, Acting Dean of Studies at Ormond College, and Dean and Acting Principal at Medley Hall. His personal integrity and academic scholarship have earned him the highest reputation in educational circles. He teaches VCE and elective Humanities subjects at Alice Miller.
JAMES CECIL
VET MUSIC
Previously the drummer in much-loved Australian band, Architecture in Helsinki, James now runs his own recording studio in the Macedon Ranges. James teaches sound recording and design and VET Music to the Alice Miller students from ‘The Tram’, a custom-built recording studio in a retired Yarra tram. James previously taught media and arts and sound design at RMIT. He lives locally with his partner and young children.
JOHN COLLINS
HUMANITIES
Before landing on the bushy shores of Alice Miller, John previously worked for 15 years at Preshil (Australia’s oldest progressive school) where he taught History, English, Global Politics and Media to a variety of year levels. He also established a thriving Kitchen Garden Programme which became integral to the school in many ways. After moving with his family to Kyneton in 2019, he worked for a time at the Malmsbury Detention Centre, again establishing a Kitchen Garden and working with the young people there in developing job ready skills in landscaping and hospitality. His path eventually wound through the shadows of the Macedon Ranges to the educational oasis of Alice Miller and he is very happy to be here.
KARYN LEHNER
CAREERS COORDINATOR, ENGLISH, YEAR 12 COORDINATOR
Karyn Lehner graduated from La Trobe University with a First-Class Honours Degree in Literary Studies. During her time as an undergraduate, she was recognised as the highest-performing Honours student in the English Program as well as receiving university prizes for her writing on both Jane Austen and Australian Literature. Karyn went on to become immersed in academic life, undertaking a PhD under the supervision of world-renowned Austen expert John Wiltshire, whilst teaching across a diverse range of subject areas in the English Program as well as regularly lecturing on her specialist areas; Keats, Austen, the Romantic Period and animals in literature. Karyn’s strong interest in literary pedagogy was the driving force behind her scholarly research output, and her work on pedagogy has appeared in two notable publications: Approaches to Teaching Jane’s Mansfield Park and Curricular Innovations. Karyn transitioned from tertiary to secondary education to pursue an interest in teaching, completing a Graduate Diploma in Education from the University of Queensland. Karyn previously held a position at Trinity Grammar School teaching VCE English.
At Alice Miller, Karyn teaches senior English, is Year 12 Coordinator, and runs the school’s careers program.
LAUREN LENNON
MATHS
Lauren (B.E., B.Sc., Dip. Lang (Chinese), M. Teach) trained in engineering
and science at Monash University with majors in Chemical Engineering,
Biochemistry, and Molecular Biology. Following graduation with honours,
she worked for businesses such as Mars and GlaxoSmithKline for six
years.
Lauren’s unofficial start to teaching occurred on a gap year after school in
China. When she made an official career change into teaching she was
accepted into the Teach for Australia program and then spent 6 years
teaching Science and Mathematics before joining Alice Miller.
Lauren is a keen hiker, and has completed the 100km Oxfam Trailwalker
13 times across three Australian cities, and has hiked to elevations over
4000 metres on 3 different continents.
LIAM TRAN
ENGLISH AND HUMANITIES, YEAR 8 COORDINATOR
Liam studied teaching and arts at Australian Catholic University, receiving two Executive Dean Commendations for attaining high-Grade Point Average scores. He earned an exemplary grade on his historiographical study on the ways in which Western historians have documented the plight of South Vietnamese peoples from 1975 through to the present day. Liam’s positive experiences as a student at Candlebark were hugely responsible for inspiring him to pursue teaching as a career. In his own time, Liam enjoys performing in local theatre productions, board games, and cooking meals for friends and family.
Liam teaches English and History to students from Years 7-12 at Alice Miller. He has played a leading role in developing teaching resources for the VCE Global Empires course.
LISA BYSOUTH
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR
Lisa is a Macedon local who has returned to the region with her partner to raise her family of three children. She has qualifications in Planning and Design and Art (Furniture Design), and extensive experience in administration. In 2007, Lisa relocated from Melbourne to Brisbane to establish and manage the interstate branch of Chapman and Bailey, a fine art stretchers, conservation framing and fine arts supplies business that currently continues operation. Lisa manages the office at Alice Miller and facilitates the day-to-day operations of the school.
MADELINE MATHER
LEGAL STUDIES, VCE PSYCHOLOGY, YEAR 7 COORDINATOR
After growing up between the New Forest in England and, later, the Macedon Ranges, Madeline moved to Melbourne and gained a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) from the University of Melbourne, as well as a Master of Teaching from ACU.
While living in the city, she taught English at Bacchus Marsh Grammar, before moving back to the forest and joining the Alice Miller community.
Madeline is a passionate advocate for animal rights – having spent time volunteering at an animal sanctuary in New Zealand tending to pigs, cows, sheep, and cockatoos. She also regularly fosters kittens.
She is a keen long distance runner, and particularly enjoys getting outside with her dog on a frosty Macedon winter morning.
Currently, Madeline is living locally with her partner, learning to knit, and working on her first novel.
MANAN WALIA
ART
Manan has been teaching for fifteen years in both secondary and tertiary settings. In 2022, Manan worked at The MacRobertson Girls’ High School teaching IB Visual Arts, VCE Studio Arts, and digital and darkroom photography to Year 9 students. She has also taught at Suzanne Cory High School and previously at Sunbury Downs College. Originally from India, Manan holds a PhD in the faculty of Visual and Performing Arts, Guru Nanak Dev University, and worked as a senior lecturer and assistant professor at Kanya Maha Vidyalaya, Jalandhar. A Sunbury local, Manan’s artwork recently featured in a solo art show sponsored by the Hume City Council.
MARTY SHARPLES
ENGLISH AND HUMANITIES, YEAR 10 COORDINATOR
Marty Sharples (MSSc, BSSc, Dip.Ed) started at Alice Miller in 2021, teaching English, International Relations, Debating, and PE. In 2019, Marty returned to Australia after the best part of 16 years overseas, where he spent five years teaching at the International School of Phnom Penh, and eight years in the international development sector working for both the United Nations and AusAID. Among his achievements was assisting in the development of an innovative, world-first, scholarship program, providing international quality secondary education for some of the poorest students of Cambodia, and making an award-winning film, ‘The Cyclo Diaries’, documenting his world record attempt – riding a cyclo (rickshaw) the length of Vietnam over the course of a month. Marty and his wife Nanda have one daughter, Lucia. They speak Spanish at home. Marty is the founding president of the Lao Elephants Australian Rules Football Club and he has recently returned to his childhood obsession, cricket, after a 20-year hiatus. Results have been mixed.
MATT TROUTMAN
MATHS, SCIENCE, YEAR 11 COORDINATOR
Matt studied physics and mathematics with an interest in astrophysics, particularly around the formation of planets. After receiving his Ph.D. from Clemson University, Matt started down the path of research before committing to teaching at the secondary level full-time in 2011. He taught science and mathematics for over a decade in the United States at a small boarding and day school in St. Louis, Missouri. A passion for the science of learning led to administrative roles around faculty development, eventually leading to becoming the school’s fifth Head of School. While proud of his accomplishments in that role, Matt felt a separation from students and the classroom and decided to move to Australia with his partner, Ashley. In the classroom, Matt likes to empower students to take control of their learning and tries to create opportunities for students to explore curiosity. He is very excited to be a part of the Alice Miller community.
MICHELLE AINLEY
ENGLISH
Creativity and curiosity are the threads that twined together and brought Michelle to the Alice Miller community. Teaching is her second career. Her first followed an initial degree in
Professional Writing, Editing and Literature, which saw her work in magazine and client publishing as an Editor, then in news media as a Journalist, and finally in special projects for
local government. It was that last thing – the City of Ballarat’s municipal health and wellbeing report of 2009 – that caused an existential crisis: how could she write all that stuff about the
benefits of lifelong learning and the impending threat of climate change and not do something? It seemed obvious: go back to school, become an educator and help young people have
enough critical literacy to navigate the jargon in search of truth. (Encourage them to be brave, dress up and read Shakespeare along the way!) She likes words. She likes rocks as they tell
amazing stories, too. She swims in Lake Daylesford. She likes challenging her brain with juggling, tap dancing, drawing and meditating. Mostly, though, Michelle loves nurturing things,
and on that front, is most proud of her two big kids, Lochie and Freya. As empirical evidence ...
NATASHA PREWETT
MUSIC
Natasha studied cello performance at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. Prior to completing a Master of Teaching at LaTrobe University, Natasha worked as a freelance cellist, performing in groups and as a soloist in Melbourne, Sydney and regional Victoria. Natasha maintains an active performance schedule and currently collaborates with a hyper-realist painter to create a series of exhibitions that portray time through music. Natasha has previously held teaching positions at Preshil and The BRIT School for Performing Arts and Technology – the leading contemporary arts school in the United Kingdom. Natasha has also worked as a Teaching Artist for the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Pizzicato Effect program. Outside of music, Natasha is a keen cyclist and hiker and speaks Swedish fluently. Natasha also holds a Master In Urban Horticulture and is on the University of Melbourne Dean’s Honour List in the Faculty of Science.
ROHAN SHERLOCK
MUSIC
Rohan has had a successful career as a professional bass player in outfits such as The Congos, The Red Eyes, Prince Alla, and King Canoe.
For the past 17 years, Rohan has been teaching and coordinating the instrumental music program at Craigieburn Secondary College. Commencing at Alice Miller School as a drums and bass teacher, Rohan joins the school in a classroom teaching and music coordination capacity in 2023.
SALLY POTTS
CAFÉ MANAGER
Sally joined Alice Miller in 2021. Sally has worked in various positions in retail management and the hospitality sector alongside many volunteer roles at the local Primary School and in the
sporting community. She is the proud mother of 4 boys and enjoys being part of and supporting their many sporting endeavours.
SARAH MURPHY
LEARNING SUPPORT, SCIENCE
After completing a Bachelor of Science (Biochemistry/Biotechnology), Sarah initially found work in the pharmaceutical industry. After several years, a desire for something more dynamic and relational led her to explore education.
Science, particularly Biology, is her special interest area, driven by a reverence for the natural world. In more recent years, she has developed an appreciation for the open-ended, creative, collaborative, skill-based learning opportunities STEM provides. Her last role saw her develop and implement a school-wide STEM specialist program.
Sarah’s teaching experiences have taken her to a range of environments including one of Victoria’s science specialist centres (GTAC – Gene Technology Access Centre), government and independent schools, primary and secondary, rural and urban, co-education and single-sex, and now the progressive environment at Alice Miller School.
Sarah joined Alice Miller in 2021 after returning to work from her most important role yet, becoming a mother. She currently teaches science and supports students with numeracy.
Outside of school Sarah has passion for yoga, and runs a small yoga business.
STUART ORR
ENGLISH, ENGLISH COORDINATOR, LITERATURE
Stuart joined the staff of Alice Miller in 2018. He teaches English, Literature and Creative Writing, and has inspired an outpouring of poetry writing within the school. Previously, he was the Head of English at The Australian International Academy, an Islamic high school in Coburg. He has travelled extensively, journeying overland from the Himalayas, through the Subcontinent and Central Asia to Western Europe. He has written and performed solo shows that have been staged at The Malthouse Theatre and The Queens Theatre in Adelaide. He is presently writing a suite of short stories about artificial intelligence and completing the second of a trilogy of young adult novels about a school in space.
TAMARA FERRARO
DAILY ORGANISER, MATHS
Tamara has held a series of high-powered roles in mathematics education. She was Head of the Maths faculties at both Hume Anglican Grammar and Ivanhoe Grammar (Plenty campus). Prior to these roles, she was the Mathematics Domain Leader at St Columba’s and taught Science and Mathematics at Eltham College. Tamara is a specialist in Mathematical Methods and Specialist Maths; however, she also loves drama and art and infuses her maths and science teaching with these subjects.
TARAN CARTER
MUSIC, MUSIC COORDINATOR
Taran joined the staff of Candlebark in 2007, and, as of 2024 is overseeing the Music program across both Alice Miller and Candlebark.
He teaches Classroom Music from Prep-VCE, directs The Ska Band and teaches saxophone and clarinet.
Taran‘s musical background (and passion) is in composition. He has had his music performed by groups such as the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Opera Australia and his compositions are featured on the AMEB and ABRSM (British) exam syllabi.
WILL MULVANEY
BIOLOGY
Will’s passion for biology began at 8 when he accompanied his mother on research trips to Montague Island, NSW to study little penguins. He later graduated from the University of Wollongong with a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and PhD before working in applied biology and ecology for about 10 years. This included researching abalone and seaweed aquaculture in Port Phillip Bay and Tasmania, snail ecology and frog behaviour and evolution in Canada, and fish reproduction and conservation in California. In between times he has had volunteering stints as an environmental tutor in Scotland, tracking bears in Ecuador and field ecology in the Australian outback. Throughout his research he developed a passion for teaching through tutoring at universities and working with Scitech (Perth) to deliver science shows and workshops to schools and communities across Western Australia. Will began school teaching through the Teach for Australia program which placed him in the lovely rural setting of Pyramid Hill, Vic where he saw the importance of community involvement in education. After moving to Kyneton with his young family and a brief stint at Kyneton High School, Will is excited to share his passions of biology and science at Alice Miller School.