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Posted in News -

Duncraig campus welcomed new Deputy Head of Primary Andrew Johnston at the start of term. Year 6 Captains decided the best way to get to know Mr Johnston better and introduce him to the community was with a quick Q&A.

Tell us about your teaching history.

I started teaching while I was living in England. My first job was in a city called Lincoln then I moved back to Nottingham which is where I am from. In 2015 I decided I wanted to come and work over in Australia and moved my family over.

I’ve spent most of my time working in a primary school and I’ve worked as a teacher and a leader in K-6 but I’ve also done some work in K-12 schools where I’ve been a Dean of Curriculum up to Year 12, a Head of Secondary and a Deputy Principal from Kindergarten to Year 12 as well.

We’ve noticed you wear a tie every day, which one is your favourite?

I do have a favourite tie. I do like my ties you’ll often see they’re quite patterned and I try to choose nice colours. I have a favourite one, it’s kind of yellow with flower prints on it. But I do like anything that’s patterned and anything that’s nicely printed.

What’s your favourite animal?

Definitely a dog. My dog is a labradoodle, she turned one this week so she’s quite big and very, very lively but I love dogs and always have.

What are your goals for this year?

Whenever I join a new school, for me the biggest thing is actually to learn about the wonderful people who are here. My main goal at the moment is to actually to get to know all of the students, as many parents as I can and all of the amazing staff here. Once I’ve done that with a good understanding of the School, I can look at other goals but right now forming good relationships is my most important goal.

What was your favourite subject at school?

I love music. Music has always been my favourite subject at school and when things were a little bit difficult that was actually my go-to place. I even went to university and did a degree in music; I love music so much.

What are some of your favourite places you’ve travelled to?

I’ve been really lucky in my life, I’ve managed to go to some amazing places both as a child and as an adult. I got a great chance to go and visit Brazil 12 years ago and got to stay in Rio de Janeiro. Also, when I was 10 years old that was my first ever holiday to Australia and I got to stay in Scarborough in Perth which is the very reason I ended up here. I loved the place so much that I wanted to come and spend the rest of my life here.

Favourite memories as a teacher.

I’ve got so many favourite memories as a teacher! But I’m going to give you one that’s quite a funny story, I think. Quite a number of years ago when I was teaching in England High School Musical was the biggest thing in the world. So, all of the kids in my school really loved High School Musical and there was a song called “We’re all in this Together”. My favourite memory is that I had to, while at home, learn the dance to that song and then teach it back to the kids so we could do it at an assembly. The funny story of that is I lived on the ground floor of an apartment at that time, and I had my windows open and everybody who walked past could see me practising.

What are your hobbies/things you like to do when you’re not working?

When I was younger I used to love playing rugby and soccer, or football if you’re from England. Now, golf is probably my favourite thing to do, I play a lot of golf! I also love spending time with my family, I love going to Yanchep Beach and walking the dog with the girls.

Why did you choose to work at St Stephen’s School?

I chose St Stephen’s School for a couple of reasons. Number one, it has a wonderful reputation as being a fantastic school and a place where staff and students love to be. We’ve got a fantastic community here and I’m very excited to be part of it. The biggest reason I wanted to be at St Stephen’s School is both of my girls actually go to St Stephen’s, they go to the one in Carramar and my experience as a dad was so good that I actually had said that one day I would love to work at this place, and I am so blessed and so happy I’ve managed to have the opportunity to do that.

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