16 PLC i n Pri nt | M a r ch 2 0 2 1
New Head of Junior School The College is delighted to welcome Dr Michelle Cafini as the new Head of Junior School. Dr Cafini was appointed following the retirement of Mr John Law. Since then she has fully embraced the life and operations of the Junior school and has been actively engaged in meeting and learning all about the girls, staff and parents. She is looking forward to sharing her insights from her experiences in other schools and a ‘fresh eyes’ approach. She took this opportunity to reflect on and celebrate those who have positively influenced her career to date.
Given that the theme of this edition of PLC in Print is ‘celebrations’ I thought it appropriate to acknowledge and celebrate two women who have had a significant influence on my career. By the end of Year 4, I knew that I wanted to be a primary teacher. Mrs Tiddy, who was both my Prep and then Year 4 teacher, provided me with a strong foundation for learning. She was kind and gentle, with a great sense of humour. She created a safe, supportive classroom, where her students were encouraged to strive to achieve their best and learn from their mistakes. Her expectations were high for each student. She knew each of her students well and tailored learning experiences to meet their needs. She was a dedicated, passionate, life-long learner (she was quite old when she taught me!) At the age of 10, I knew this was the type of teacher that I wanted to be. After graduating from university, I went on to teach all primary year levels across the three education sectors in Victoria, predominately in independent schools. My passion for catering for the individual needs of students in my class led to me completing a Doctorate of Education, where my thesis focussed on supporting the needs of gifted students. When I commenced my primary teaching career, I never considered that I would ever end up in a leadership role. Enter Irma Dymke, the first Principal for whom I worked. Within a few years of teaching, Irma set about fostering my leadership potential. She created opportunities for me to take on new roles, encouraged me to take risks to further my confidence and provided different mentors to assist me to develop a range of leadership skills. Irma was an outstanding role model who shaped my leadership journey which has seen me be a Head of Junior School at Newhaven College and Hillcrest Christian College, Deputy Principal at Eton House International School in Singapore, and Head of College at Rivercrest Christian College prior to commencing at PLC. I have relished opportunities to mentor new leaders throughout my career and to lead professional development sessions for teachers in curriculum development across the Asia-Pacific region. There are so many wonderful, dedicated staff at PLC and the girls will encounter teachers throughout their journey who will motivate, inspire, challenge and believe in them just as I experienced. I feel very blessed to have had such a varied and rich career and am looking forward to this next chapter at PLC. Dr Michelle Cafini Head of Junior School
