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Front row left to right - Heather Prance, Carmel Bochenek, Sonya Orford, Sally Harrison, Nicole Borbas, Karen Greaves, Don Gardiner. Back row -Peter Wicks, Trevor Howitt, Narelle Cahill, Paul Borbas, Garry Bochenek.
Dr Carmel Bochenek
Carmel has worked in many Oral
Language and Literacy development roles since 1984. She is currently enjoying
her second year on the beautiful Cocos (Keeling) Islands. This year, Carmel is
teaching the delightful Year 2 class on Home Island with Nek Sofiya (Educational
Assistant).
Garry Bochenek
Garry
has enjoyed teaching in Perth, the Kimberley and Busselton since 1983.
Paul Borbas Paul works in a dual role as a Music and Support Teacher, he spends three days at the Home Island Campus and two days at West. His students sing, dance, create, play and perform. Variety is Paul’s approach to making music both a fun and meaningful learning experience. Paul continues to enjoy working with a wide range of students from K-10 and loves his Cocos Lifestyle!
Nicole has been teaching at Cocos Islands DHS since 2004. During this time, she has been a class room teacher, a LOTE (Indonesian) teacher and now currently, the Getting it Right Literacy Teacher. In this role Nicole works across the Primary and Secondary classes, working with teachers and students to help achieve the best literacy outcomes possible. What makes the job so rewarding is the professionalism and enthusiasm that Nicole encounters from all staff members, and the opportunity to work with all students from Year 1 to Year 10 across both campuses.
Narelle Cahill Narelle has come from one paradise of Broome to another of the Cocos Islands. This year she is the full time relief teacher and general jack of all trades. Narelle is enjoying the challenge of teaching K to 10 and organising many schools incursions. She loves snorkelling, swimming and walking through the islands beautiful diverse landscape and has recently taken up surfing.
Don Gardiner
Don teaches the year 3/4 class on
Home Island. In his 35 years as a primary school teacher he has taught all year
levels, based in Kununurra and Albany, and now Cocos Islands. He enjoys the
friendly community atmosphere on Home Island and finds the wonderful enthusiasm
and respect shown by the children refreshing.
Karen Greaves Karen is happily teaching the year 3-6 students on West Island Campus for 2008. She has taught all year groups from Kindy through to year 9 students in various city and country schools these last 23 years, including a 2 year stint on these beautiful Islands in 1983-1984. Her basic philosophy and approach has always been a holistic one, where all domains of the child are addressed. Karen believes that the happy, relaxed child, who is stress free, is more able to learn when they are respected and treated with dignity, both in and outside the classroom. She teaches with her husband Rick on the same campus. Their eldest daughter Paige is in Perth studying and their second daughter Amber lives with them and does childcare on West Island.
Sally Harrison Sally is the Kindergarten to Year 2 teacher on West Island. She is moving into her 8th year of teaching at C(K)IDHS and enjoys working with such a diverse range of dynamic staff. Although Sally is finding life busy juggling family, full-time work and other community interests, she still loves being part of this unique community and considers Cocos Islands her home.
Trevor Howitt Trevor has enjoyed being the Home Island Year 5/6 Class Teacher for three years. He has lived and worked in remote Kalumburu, the Mid West and in the South West. Trevor is very fortunate, as having such a large family, has ensured him a teaching position wherever he goes! He, his six children Kaitlin, Jai, Flynn, Amber, Kit and Chayse and his wife Cathy, came to the Cocos Islands for an awesome adventure and cultural experience. He enjoys fishing, being with his family and exploring the outdoors. Trevor loves teaching on Home Island and thinks that working in a very small community with children who have a unique culture and language has sometimes been challenging yet very rewarding. Trevor believes that people will have guaranteed success in life through acquiring leadership, believing in themselves and by maintaining integrity.
Sonya Orford Sonya Orford is the K-1 teacher on the Home Island campus where students arrive from an essentially non-English speaking background. Sonya's teaching philosophy is based upon the Reggio Emmilia teaching and learning strategy of providing a stimulating and aesthetically pleasing learning environment designed to cater for a balanced blend of child-centred and teacher-directed learning. Sonya is in her fourth year of teaching in the K/P class on Home Island and is still delighting in learning alongside her colleagues and students about the unique environment in which they live.
Peter Wicks Peter teaches Middle School mainly within the areas of Design and Technology, Society and Environment and Art. Prior to moving to Cocos, Peter taught in Perth, Bremer Bay, and to ESL students in Japan. He spends four days on West Island Campus and enjoys the one day a week he spends on Home Island, especially the walk through the Kampong in the morning, when the Islanders are tiding their homes and readying themselves for the day. He believes in creating a happy and hands on learning environment where students are free to take risks. He continually encourages students to develop the important values of politeness and manners. When not at work, Peter enjoys exploring adventures around the different islands of the atoll, surfing and the unique twist the community has on it various clubs.
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