Meet our Staff

Nicole Barnes

Principal & Senior Class Teacher

Greetings, everyone!

I'm Nicole, and I have the distinct pleasure of serving as the Principal of Toolangi Primary School. I am deeply committed to fostering strong relationships and promoting collaboration within our school community, nurturing a sense of belonging and fostering a vibrant community spirit among our students.

I consider myself extremely privileged to hold the role of Teaching Principal at Toolangi Primary School, where I have the opportunity to work alongside a team of dedicated and passionate educators, alongside curious learners and supportive families. At Toolangi, we firmly believe that Small Schools are Great Schools, and we are dedicated to providing our students with the very best opportunities for growth and success.

Together, let's continue to create an environment where every student can thrive and where our school community can flourish.

Sophie Fothergill

Junior Class teacher & Visual Arts teacher

My name is Sophie Fothergill and I am lucky enough to teach the junior class and run the Visual Arts program at Toolangi PS.

I have lived in the area for most of my life and I fell in love with small schools and Toolangi P.S during my teacher training many years ago. There are many things I love about teaching at T.P.S but my favourite thing would have to be the small class sizes. This means that I really get to know each of the children very well and can very easily tailor my lessons to meet each child's needs and learning style.

Amanda Hull

Senior Class teacher & PE teacher

Hi, I’m Amanda Hull and it is my great pleasure to be a teacher at Toolangi Primary School. I wear a number of different hats at various times during the week including PE teacher and classroom teacher. I am also on hand as the relief teacher.

I feel privileged to be entrusted with the education and care of the beautiful young people whose families choose our school. My husband and I have brought up our four children amongst the tall trees on the mountain, and value the great benefits that come from a small school education. I consider myself very fortunate to work in Toolangi’ s unique school grounds; alongside passionate colleagues; surrounded by inquisitive, kind children and their supportive families.

Annie Hopper

Co-Ordinator of OSHC

My name is Annie Hopper and I’m thrilled to be leading our OSHC program at Toolangi PS. It is such an honor to be a part of this beautiful school community and support the inspirational work of Toolangi PS in cultivating the curious and innovative minds of our children. Before becoming a mother of three young boys, I was a primary school teacher and loved helping young learners become independent and curious citizens of the world. I cannot wait to help create a beautiful environment that explores the wonders of our natural world and celebrates the joy of lifelong learning in our OSHC Program.

Julia Holmes

Kitchen Garden, Science and Sustainability Program

I’ve been working on the kitchen garden project at Toolangi, since it began about nine years ago. In that time it has evolved to include much of the science curriculum, which we explore by investigating nature. Our extensive garden allows for hands-on learning for all our students, who help to grow, harvest and cook seasonal produce whilst learning about natural processes and gaining life-long skills.

In my spare time I like to grow mushrooms, keep bees, distill perfume, make preserves and throw pottery on a wheel. I have always enjoyed understanding processes from scratch in order to create something. This passion for grass-roots knowledge transfers to the way I teach and learn with the children.

Ashleigh Katsi

LOTE: Japanese

My name is Ashleigh Katsi, the students call me ‘Katsi Sensei’ as I teach Japanese at Toolangi Primary School.

I love teaching Japanese; teaching Japanese is not only about teaching the language but also the cultural difference and opening up students’ views of the world.

I use a number of methods to keep the learning experience fun and aid in the student’s ability to remember new vocabulary and phrases. We play games, sing songs and use sign language. Students love learning some AUSLAN signs while simultaneously learning the word in Japanese.

It is a pleasure to watch students’ progress with their Japanese skills.

Kathryn Vine

MARC teacher

My name is Kathryn Vine and I am the MARC (Mobile Area Resource Centre) Teacher at Toolangi Primary.

I am passionate about helping students develop a love of reading and enjoy helping students choose books from the MARC Van each week.