Staff Profiles

This year, Mrs Eunice Goessler said goodbye to her Year 2 classroom and stepped into the role of Deputy Head of Junior School.

My teaching career began over thirty years ago as a Year 2 teacher in the same school that I had entered as a four-and-a-half-year-old Prep. I loved my primary school years, and it was the early influence of both my Prep and Year 6 teachers that led me to study Education. Those teachers were kind, made learning fun, and, even as a child, I felt that they knew me well and brought out the best in me. They have influenced and inspired me well beyond the time that we spent in a classroom together.

I have been fortunate to have worked in a variety of schools since then, from Brunswick to Burwood to Sunshine. They were schools with diverse student populations and backgrounds, and I learnt a great deal about the importance of understanding the context of the student and building relationships with families and communities. Prior to Camberwell Grammar, my most recent experience was at Xavier College, Kew where I spent thirteen years teaching across the Junior and Middle Years including time as Head of English.

My time here at Camberwell Grammar began in 2020 as a Year 2 teacher, and from the moment I arrived in the village, I knew it was the place for me. I was welcomed with generosity and warmth and was grateful to be part of a team that worked hard to realise each student’s potential. Of course, 2020 presented unforeseen challenges and required great changes to teaching and learning which could have been difficult in a new school. Instead, the Camberwell Grammar community proved to be most supportive, optimistic, and proactive. Though it was humbling to see parents juggling their own work while their children were on Zoom lessons, it was a reminder of the importance of the relationship between home and school. As we know, it takes a village to raise a child!

Family is very important to me. My husband, Paul, and I have four young adult children: Matthew, Emily, Callum, and James. The three eldest are in the early stages of their own careers whilst James is midway through a Bachelor of Commerce degree. There is both a sense of relief and happiness that they have navigated their way through their school years to reach this point! As a family, we enjoy being together, whether it be at the MCG cheering Collingwood on, walking along the beautiful stretch of beach at Fairhaven, or sharing breakfast at local cafés. Last year, we spent a wonderful week together exploring the beaches and wineries in Margaret River. What makes me happiest though, is cooking for them and sharing laughs and stories over shared meals. We have made many happy memories together.

I am delighted to be taking on the role of Deputy Head of Junior School. Already, I have found that every day is different, and I am relishing the challenges that come with this. I look forward to extending my connections with different people and groups across the school, including the Friends of Norge who support the Junior School in so many ways. I am also grateful to work alongside our amazing staff and parents in shaping the future of the Junior School. There are exciting times ahead and it is a privilege to be a part of the vibrant community that is Camberwell Grammar.

Mr Nathan Bower

Senior Head of Sports Strategy and Programs

Last year we welcomed Mr Nathan Bower as the newly appointed Senior Head of Sports Strategy and Programs.

After a varied and enjoyable career in Sport and Education, it’s a great privilege to find myself at Camberwell Grammar as the Senior Head of Sports Strategy and Programs. The newly created position is a further investment in the sport ecosystem at the School and the ever-increasing role sport plays within the School’s identity – internally and externally. As a passionate advocate for the lessons we can take from sport, I hope my role helps contribute to the preparation of balanced young adults with a healthy relationship to competition, fair play, and respect and to complement the existing high standards of the Sport Department.

My sport of choice was Football and my team was Richmond, as my home town Mildura was the country recruitment zone for the Tigers, with two of my older brothers playing for Richmond as country zone recruits. By the end of 1989, and with the AFL Draft system relatively new, I was selected by Richmond with pick #15 in the National Draft after a successful final year at High School.

I pursued a Teaching Degree for the simple fact that my biggest supporter and hero was my PE Teacher at Mildura High School. It’s truly powerful how much confidence kids can generate when they have a respected adult in their life believing in them. I have a photo of that teacher in my office as a daily reminder of the role we play in the lives of young people. The AFL environment was very different in the 1990s, with all players either working or studying alongside their football commitments. My experiences through this period of my life consolidated my views on the need for balance. Post playing career, I had every intention to transition to my long-prepared for teaching career. However, opportunities arose through VFL Coaching, Program Management with Victoria University, AFL SportsReady and Cricket Australia, Managing Director with a start-up Registered Training Organisation, and Executive Officer with the Eastern Independent Schools Melbourne (EISM) Sporting Association. I’m confident my experiences have led me to Camberwell Grammar at the right time for both the School and myself. My passion remains sport and my involvement in junior sport at a community level has given me so much more fulfilment than my own endeavours. As a father of two girls and two boys, I’ve loved my involvement from supporter to Team Manager to Umpire Escort to Coach, and everything in between. I encourage all Camberwell Grammar staff to throw themselves into their sport involvement. I am confident that you will get as much from the experience, if not more, as the students.

I look forward to getting to know more of the School community in the coming years, and to being a trusted supporter of the students on their journey to adulthood.