Front row left to right - Nek Indra, Nek Imannia, Mak Qush, Nek Namirah, Nek Sofiya, Mak Yati

Back row - Mak Emmi, Pak Yati, De Pfeiffer.

Absent - Pak Nasir, Mak Azrin, Haji Bos, Mak Zuhaili, Mak Adzal, Mak Laisa, Mak Yazid, Liz Rowles, Vicki Sly

Support Staff

Cocos (Keeling) Islands DHS has a strong and committed support staff whose dedication to the school and its plan for education is second to none. Their commitment to professional development, including performance management, ensures up-to-date theory of education is embedded in classroom practice, and clerical procedures are first-rate.

Most of our support staff are or have been members of the school council, P&C, finance, professional development and social committees.

The Cocos-Malay people have a custom of taking on a "Kampong" name when they become parents. They are called "Mak" or "Pak" (mother or father) then the name of their first-born child. When they become grandparents, they are then called "Nenek" then the name of the first-born grandchild. The kampong naming custom exemplifies the importance of the family to this populace.

Mak Yati - Siti Chongkin Anthoney

Our Registrar, Mak Yati, like most of our support staff, has lived on Cocos all her life. She is a Department of Education employee and her main worksite is on West Island although she works part of each week on the Home Island campus. Mak Yati diligently keeps our finances on track and  our network operating effectively. She has one grown up daughter and one small son and when she can, she enjoys going out camping with her family.

Mak Azrin - Nedy Chongkin

Mak Azrin is the happy voice you first hear when you telephone Home Island campus. She has two sons, one grown and one still in Primary school. Mak Azrin is the school officer for Home Island campus and her role includes putting together the school newsletters, translating between parents and administration and general clerical duties. The Cocos Cooperative is her employer, and together with Mak Yati, she coordinates the non-teaching staff relief roster. She is a great cook like most of the locally employed female staff.

Mak Yazid - Nollia Satna

Mak Yazid is the school officer for West Island campus and her role includes putting together the school newsletters, translating between parents and administration and general clerical duties. Mak Yazid thoroughly enjoys her job on West Island campus. She also loves to socialise and have fun and her happy personality is a great asset to our school. She has three beautiful children, one son and two lovely daughters and a husband who loves to fish.

Pak Yati - Ratma Anthoney

Pak Yati is our Teacher Assistant for Secondary Students and his role is a cross between translating for students that don't speak English, teaching students, and making the staff smile with his antics. Pak Yati is a great sportsman and fisherman and always has a story for the staffroom on Monday morning.

Mak Zuhaili -Mazuwin Bentley

Mak Zuhaili is currently our Information Technology Trainee Technician. She shares her time between West and Home Island Campuses. Her assistance has been invaluable as one of our school focus areas is IT, and we have 1 computer lab as well as computers in classrooms and laptops for all secondary students.

Nek Indra - Zabenah Alpan

Nek Indra assists teaching in the Year 5/6 class on Home Island. She has three children and enjoys cooking, camping and keeping the students on track in Mathematics and English. Mak Asmawati used to be a teacher at the Home Island school in the days when it was operated by John Clunies-Ross.

Mak Laisa - Susan Raptikan

Mak Laisa, like all of our teacher assistants, is a staunch supporter of our English Language at School policy, and the students in the 3/4 class on Home Island speak English very competently by the time they leave her care. She has two children, one grown daughter and one son in her class, and she used to be a teacher in the High School on West Island in the days before the islands were owned by Australia.

De Pfeiffer

De moved to Cocos Islands with her family early in 2006.  She works as a teacher's aide in the 3-6 class, as well as supporting individual students and providing relief when needed.

Mak Adzal - Annisah Kaulie

Mak Adzal assists in the K-2 class on West Island and has instigated some engaging tasks for the Kindergarten students who attend half days during the week. Mak Adzal has five children, three in high school, one in primary and one at home.

Nek Sofiya - Yasmin Feyrel

Nek Sofiya assists in the Year 2 class on Home Island and helps to translate between the teacher and students who are able to understand limited English. Nek Sofiya has two daughters who, like many of our ex-students, have undertaken tertiary education on the mainland. Her eldest daughter is now back on Cocos and a mother, hence the "nek" name while her other daughter continues to study on the mainland . Her young son attends West Island campus, and her husband keeps us entertained at the Post Office with his amusing antics.

Nek Immania -Zani Anthoney

Nek Immania assists on Home Island in the Kindy/Pre Primary/Year 1 class, interpreting everything for the teacher and ensuring the students get a good grounding in education through their first language before moving on to classes that extend their knowledge of English. When she was young, Nek Immania used to be the cook in the Clunies-Ross mansion. Because she is tiny, special kitchen tables and bench tops had to be made to fit her needs. She has a married daughter, who has recently had a new baby and a young son who attends West Island campus.

Nek Namira - Danie Olbio

Nek Namira is the proud mother of four children, and works in our libraries on both campuses. The libraries are shared school/community facilities, open two days per week after school hours for community access. Her husband, often works at the school for relief situations in office and teacher assistant roles. His welcoming smile is seen at the airport by most new arrivals as he waves the planes in, and checks baggage and ticketing. Nek Namira has recently become a grandmother to the beautiful little girl, Dayang Namira.

 Nek Tahani - Bos Redford (Haji Bos)

Haji Bos is responsible for keeping the physical environment of West Island campus clean and beautiful. He works tirelessly to achieve this. His fantastic work ethic and the interest he takes in maintaining our work place to such a high level makes him a highly respected staff member. He is also well known for encouraging all the teaching staff in their efforts to learn the Cocos Malay language. Haji Bos has three adult children and three beautiful grandchildren.

Nek Haznia

Nek Haznia can always be found working industriously around Home Island campus keeping everything in ship shape condition. He not only keeps the school environment neat and clean and the gardens attractive but can also be found doing  small handyman jobs around the school and driving the bus to and from the jetty. Pak Nasir's only son has recently married and is living on Cocos.

Mak Sofiya- Aini Radal

Mak Sofiya assists high school and primary school students with science experiments and preparation for laboratory work.  She became a part of our staff last year and has enjoyed working at C(K)IDHS since. She has a bub, Princess Sofiya, and a wonderful husband who loves weight lifting.  Mak Sofiya hopes to finish her Science and Maths degree soon and plans to take on Primary Teaching.

Mak Ayub - Azima Bat

Mak Ayub is a Special needs teacher assistant for a student with "Brittle Bone" disease, but is currently on leave as she has recently become a mother. 

Liz Rowles

Liz is currently our library assistant to Nek Namira on Home Island and is helping with the stocktake.  Liz has lived on Cocos with her husband, Neil, for the past 3 years, and has 3 grown children living in Perth. Her favourite Cocos activity is snorkelling in the beautiful pools on Pulu Maria.

Siti-Aisha Hajat

Aisha Hajat is our mum to be employee on Home Island. She has been employed by the Department of Education & Training on a number of occasions. She first started working at the School as a relief Education Assistant, working at both Campuses. Mid last year she was employed to work with a SAER student in Year 1 and as a Tutor for the RAV Program with the Year 4s. This year, Aisha has been taking on a relief position for Azima Bat (Mak Ayub) who is currently on Maternity Leave. Aisha is working as Special needs Teacher Assistant for a Pre-Primary student who has a Type 3 Osteogenesis Imperfecta condition (Brittle Bone disease). She enjoys working with the gorgeous students in the K-P/1 classroom on Home Island and also appreciates the great support and team work from both of her co-workers, Sonya and Nek Imania. Early January, Aisha got married to a wonderful young man who absolutely loves his fishing. At the end of Term 3 when she finishes off her relief contract, they both will be returning to Geraldton ready for the new arrival! Aisha will be giving birth to her first bubba in November! Aisha hopes that she doesn’t have to stay home with the dirty dishes and clothes after having the baby, because Aisha wishes to continue her career in Finance or Teaching.