MEET OUR ROCKSTAR TEACHERS!
We’ve all seen ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ and hoped like hell that the person educating our babies was a helluva lot more engaging, ammi right?
PEITA MAGES
Peita is a Minister’s Award for Excellence in Teaching recipient (for achieving record-breaking HSC results – but shhhh don’t tell her, she’ll get a big head). She is a teacher trainer, expert speaker and lover of literature. She’s a pusher and is renowned for her dogged determination to help her students achieve incredible results. Prior to teaching, Peita worked in the film industry for Walt Disney Pictures, Sony Pictures and Universal Pictures as a National Publicity and Promotions Manager. Hobbies include baking at inappropriate hours and lurking outside of her comfort zone. Snickerdoodle Cookies (look them up, they’re to die for) are her vice.
ROB MAGES
Rob absolutely HATED Mathematics as a child (unlike a lot of Maths teachers) and we think this is the precise reason he’s so darned good at explaining its tricky concepts to students. His background in the corporate sector means that he always links his teaching of mathematical concepts to a real-world setting, tackling the ‘when will I EVER use this in my life’ question, head on! His never give up mentality is known to rub off on his students and he is forever providing outside of hours support to Cookies stuck on particular maths problems. He is a prime target for any student selling charity chocolates and has opted for the full box more times than he will admit. He’s also a mean basketball player (his Cookies say he’s pretty nimble for an old fella!) A soft (non-crunchy) choc-chip cookie is the way to his heart.
KRISTIE ANDERSON
We are super thrilled to welcome Kristie to Team Cookie! Kristie’s long and illustrious educational career began 20 years ago but, as she uses an exceptional face care regime, you’d never know it. She was a part of Peita’s English Faculty in another life and her ability to light kids’ worlds on FIYAH is unparalleled. Yes, she has multiple Band 6 and E4 results in English, but most importantly she cares about kids and students ADORE her. To boot, she is a Minister’s Award Winner for Excellence in Teaching, a former Leader of Teaching and Learning and relieving College Principal at Kelso/Bathurst Campus and Orange High School. She’s a total over-achiever, so currently she is leading a project for the Department of Education that supports school leaders in using evidence and data to improve student outcomes across 260 schools in NSW. This is Kristie’s 20th year in education, but she is by no means over kids or teaching. She is MAGIC and we are totally pumped that our Cookies will get the chance to work with her!
NICOLETTE GASH
Nicolette is a powerhouse English teacher whose diverse career has included stints at Billabong High School and Orange High School as well as London’s St. George’s Hanover Square Primary School in Mayfair, London. She’s met Prince Charles and Camilla! Yep – true story! Our Nic was also the English specialist at Reddam House in Sydney. A passionate educator, Nicolette is especially gifted at ensuring students grasp the ‘basics’ to enhance their skills and, importantly, their writing outcomes. An avid karaoke fan, Nicolette brings that same infectious energy to CCA and is most likely to be dunking an ANZAC cookie in her tea when she feels the hankering.
DENISE TAYLOR
Denise has a love of Science that is almost impossible to describe. When you talk to her about her experience teaching Biology, her eyes begin to sparkle and it’s clear to see that her fascination with Science rubs off on her students as she achieves consistent Band 6’s in what is a very tricky subject! Her passion to help students score careers in Science and her joy for teaching Biology is undeniable and Cookies who already know her absolutely corroborate this. In her spare time you might find Denise cruising in her iron man car listening to country and western music or munching on an Arnott’s Crown. Her favourite motto, ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway’ drives her to seize opportunities like working at CCA and we are so excited to have her on Team Cookie!
TOM MILSON
Tom is one of our original rockstar teachers from back in 2020 and some of you may recall the dulcet tones of his baritone voice! We reckon it would send Barry White weak at the knees!! Tom loves teaching juniors and seniors alike, especially those challenging Advanced and Extension subjects. He is a double-threat, holding teaching qualifications in both Mathematics and Science (including Physics and Chemistry). Yep…total nerd alert…in the BEST possible way! Rocking his fifth year of teaching, Tom is at the FOREFRONT of educational research and is receiving FAB mentoring both at his school AND at CCA.
LIV HORDYNSKY
You know that teacher that primary aged kiddies run at full speed towards to give a big hug? That’s our Liv! Currently kicking goals in the classroom as a full time teacher, Liv manages to find time in her busy hockey playing, musical doing, Harry Potter reading life to blow our Cookies’ minds! She’s a jokester and Cookies will love the way she inserts humour into her teaching. Cookies love learning from Liv and we are sure her sessions are going to be a hot ticket! Her favourite Cookie? Macadamia and White Chocolate Chip and we reckon if she’s a bit nutty she’s going to fit in around here just fine!
RACHEL PEARSON
Rachel is an absolute unicorn of the education world being both a Speech Pathologist AND trained Primary teacher! You can hear a pin drop during her instruction and then Cookies completely engrossed in their engaging, interactive and creative learning activities soon after! Rachel loves the curiosity of our youngest Cookie minds and is a passionate advocate of providing kids extra help to reach their full potential. When she’s not lighting students’ worlds on fire, Rachel can be found flipping houses or taking super cool photographs! She’s partial to a jam-drop with her cuppa!
JAYDE VANGESTEL
We’ve been courting Jayde to teach at CCA since she joined our Sound Squad! Her fun loving, yet never give up approach blesses her with the perfect temperament to delight our Cookies! Jayde’s grounding in early childhood prior to teaching AND love of literacy makes her the perfect candidate to teach Reading Rangers (reading recovery program at CCA). Jayde encourages such tenacity with her Cookies and her never give up approach can be traced back to her struggling with Maths in school. As a result she’s now a total whiz at showing kids how to approach Maths problems with multiple strategies, so expect your Cookie to thrive under Jayde’s tutelage. Jayde enjoys musical theatre, reading and art and is partial to any cookie that has a white chocolate chip in it!
CHARLIE PARKER
So WHO is the bombshell leading ‘Sound Squad’? It’s none other than Charlie Parker! Why? Well to name a few reasons…
- She’s been a lead singer of a band for 20+ years (yes, we know..SO youthful!!! It’s the face cream we reckon!)
- She’s a bloody musical genius and anyone who knows her work can attest to this!
- She’s starring in the upcoming OTC production of Mamma Mia as Donna (yep, that’s the big kahuna role) so she’s got the voice, the moves and the X factor
- She’s a stellar human being, and guys, we’re big on this as at CCA we have a no A-hole policy when it comes to hiring!
Charlie, a purveyor of white chocolate and raspberry cookies, would choose George Michael to sing a duet with and her favourite song to sing in the shower is Kylie Minogue’s, ‘Better the Devil You Know’!