STAFF SPOTLIGHT
introducing. .
Brigid Perkins
Amy O’Brien
Karen Potts
Head of Middle School
School Psychologist
Risk and Compliance Manager
Cathedral College Wangaratta
Frederick Irwin Anglican School
Anglican Schools Commission
I arrived at Cathedral College in 2017 to lead the first year of Middle School. I had been living in Melbourne for several years throughout my own time at boarding school, university and my first teaching roles in various school settings, so when the opportunity arose to return to North East Victoria where I grew up, I was ready for the change and a return to a country lifestyle.
Like most children, I was born … in Australia as it happens. My family moved about a bit and, at last count, I think I attended five different schools before finally graduating and heading off to University where I studied a Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) and a Masters of Clinical Psychology. Maybe due to having attended so many different schools, I stuck with one University for both degrees (but that’s the psychologist in me theorising…).
I moved to Perth in 2005 with my husband and daughter, having never stepped foot in Australia. I was born in Scotland, moved to Germany (Dad was in the British Army), moved back to the UK to attend University and then landed in Perth some years later. My answer to ‘where are you from originally?’ can sometimes be quite lengthy to explain the lack of a Scottish accent.
It is lovely to now live in my hometown, surrounded by family. My mother and younger sister are also teachers in the region. It is a nice feeling to be able to support local schools to provide quality education for regional communities. As an educator, English would be considered my main teaching area, however I’ve also taught Health and Human Development, Phys. Ed. and History. I have held various leadership roles including Year Level Coordinator, Head of House, Head of Girls Sport and now Head of Middle School. Middle Schooling has become a passion of mine due to its dynamic and rewarding nature. I have learnt that Middle School students are involved, eager and enthusiastic. There is so much change that occurs throughout these formative years for these students, so it is exciting to assist in their personal development and guide them to understand what kind of learners they are capable of being. Outside of work, I love spending time with family (I have two young daughters, who are thriving in the country setting) and friends. Weekends and holidays are filled with road trips to Lorne along the Great Ocean Road or staying in the Alpine area of Bright, reading a good book, running, going in search of new cafes and restaurants and listening to music.
I started working at Frederick Irwin Anglican School in 2019 as the School Psychologist – an exciting, but daunting, opportunity, as the school had not previously had a School Psychologist, and it was up to me to make this a success (results pending)! I really enjoy the variety of things I get to do in my role, and working across two Primary and one Secondary campuses keeps me busy! Before working at Frederick Irwin I worked in private practice and in nongovernment not-for-profit agencies, working predominantly with children and adolescents. Some other odd jobs I have had include working at a theme park, working in a library, being a volunteer mascot in a bear suit, fixing printer jams and working as a professional chairstacker (which is just as boring as it sounds). I hope to be able to be a part of the development of further wellbeing initiatives at Frederick Irwin, and finding creative ways to promote good mental health.
My career to date has been varied, with time spent at an Audit firm, Building Societies, Health Fund, and Oil and Gas in either Audit or Risk and Compliance roles. I joined the ASC in 2016 to develop and roll out the Risk and Compliance framework across the ASC and its schools. This has been, and continues to be challenging and rewarding, but I really enjoy my role. The work is varied, and I get to work with a wide variety of people across the ASC and schools. My love of all things risk and compliance, spreadsheets and tables is quite often the topic of amusement in the office. Away from work I love to travel (oh the good old days) and spend time with my daughter, who is back in Australia having just spent the last three years at University in the UK. I also love swimming, cycling and running (triathlon) with my husband – and yes there is a friendly rivalry between us. We both completed our first Ironman at the end of 2019.
ASC News 15
