Since joining St Stephen’s School in January, Emma has quickly become a much-loved face at the ELC, blending her passions for physical education, nature, and laughter into every lesson. As both the ELC Physical Education Specialist and Bush School Teacher, she gets to combine movement with curiosity, and no two days are ever the same.
Emma says the best part of her role is sharing those lightbulb moments with the youngest members of our school community. “I love seeing the joy on our students’ faces when they master a skill or discover something new. It’s so special to share that with the littlest people on campus.”
Bush School, with its muddy hands and wide smiles, has become a true highlight. When asked what its theme song would be, Emma doesn’t hesitate to mix fun with philosophy: “The Bare Necessities of Life.” Disney nostalgia aside, she explains it captures the Bush School’s mission of stripping back distractions and connecting with nature, environmental care, and cultural respect.
Of course, teaching young children comes with plenty of surprises. Emma recalls lending her shoes to a Year 6 runner in the Wheatbelt who then won her event, discovering a beached whale with 60 students on camp, and even coming across a “phobia of tomatoes” listed on camp forms. “It’s moments like these that make teaching such an adventure, you never know what each day will bring.”
Outside school, Emma is just as busy, raising three young children (Luke, Ben and Sadie), wrangling their energetic Aussie Shepherd x Border Collie, Morris, and cheering from the sidelines of kids’ sport. Friday family movie nights are a cherished ritual, and if she could wave a magic wand (or better yet, drive a Magic School Bus), she’d take her Bush School students anywhere from the Great Barrier Reef to the inside of an ants’ nest, with PPE, of course!