Today, students visited their new classes for 2026, meeting their teachers and classmates as they began building connections and relationships for the year ahead. Teachers have provided a welcome Meet the Teacher letter for students and families. Students received a hard copy to take home, and an email version has also been sent.
Supporting Your Child
We encourage parents and carers to have a positive, supportive conversation with their child about their new class. It’s completely normal for children to experience a mix of emotions after a transition visit. Many will feel excited after meeting their new teacher and classmates, while others may feel uncertain or worried — and that’s natural too.
Please reassure your child that their current teacher and school leaders have thoughtfully considered the class placement that will best support their learning and wellbeing. If concerns arise, encourage them to speak with their class teacher, who will be able to offer reassurance and guidance.
Children generally adapt quickly to new learning environments and develop new friendships. As we begin the new school year, we encourage students, teachers and families to focus on fostering positive, supportive relationships.
Important Notes
Class placements are final. Changing one student’s placement impacts multiple class groupings, so we are unable to make adjustments.
Our teaching and leadership teams have worked diligently and thoughtfully over many weeks to create balanced classes that best support student learning and wellbeing. We appreciate your understanding and support of these decisions.
New Teachers
We welcome the following teachers to Craigburn for 2026.
Kimberley Kennedy (Year 2/3)
We are pleased to welcome Kimberley Kennedy to our teaching team in 2026. Kimberley brings strong experience across both the early and primary years of schooling, having taught at Mitcham and Colonel Light Gardens schools over the last 7 years. Kimberley is looking forward to getting to know our Craigburn community and working closely with students and families.
Alana Henderson (Year 5/6)
We are delighted to welcome Alana Henderson to our teaching team next year. Alana has recently returned from teaching in England this year having previously held a permanent teaching position at McLaren Vale. Alana is a former Craigburn student, and is excited to return and be part of our school community again.
Pip Tonkin (Year 1)
We are delighted to welcome Pip Tonkin back to Craigburn in 2026 after spending the past year at home with her baby boy. Pip is a much-loved member of our teaching team and will be returning to Year 1, where she has developed strong expertise and a genuine passion for early years learning.
New Assistant Principal
Beth Elliott
We are pleased to welcome Beth Elliott to Craigburn as our new Assistant Principal in 2026. Beth brings over 20 years of experience across primary and R–12 settings, with strong expertise in wellbeing, inclusion, curriculum development, and positive behaviour support. She has most recently worked in the Southern Region, supporting schools and educators across a diverse range of contexts.
As a Behaviour Support Educator, Beth has used evidence-based approaches to help teachers and students create calm, inclusive and engaging learning environments. Her work has included coaching staff in proactive classroom strategies, supporting students with self-regulation, and facilitating restorative practices. She has also led professional learning in student engagement, trauma-informed practice, and building respectful relationships.
Beth previously held leadership roles at Roxby Downs Area School, contributing to whole-school curriculum, staff development and wellbeing initiatives. We look forward to welcoming Beth to our leadership team and school community.
Returning Contract Teachers
We also retain the following contract teachers for 2026:
- Katherine Hagias
- Renee Wheatland
- Kristie Bunting
- Chloe Bremner
- Rebecca Drozdoff
- Nat Shearer
- Sophie Sutherland
Farewells and Thank You
We extend our warm thanks to the following teachers for their contributions to Craigburn in 2025:
Jess Watton – We thank Jess for her wonderful work with our Reception students this year. We hope to see Jess return as a TRT in 2026.
Kieran Buhagiar – Thank you to Kieran for teaching our Year 2s while Tahlia Woolford was on leave. We look forward to welcoming him back as a TRT next year.
Jodie Fischer – We sincerely thank Jodie for her commitment to Craigburn over the past nine years, teaching across multiple year levels. We hope to see Jodie as a TRT in 2026.
Clementine Luke – Thank you to Clem for supporting our Year 3/4 class in Term 4. We hope to see her return as a TRT next year.
We are grateful for the positive impact each of these teachers has had on our students and school community.
Class Teachers for 2026
Reception
- D21: Katherine Hagias 1.0
- D22: Renee Wheatland 0.6 MTF/ Kristie Bunting 0.4 WTh
Year 1
- E23: Bec Drozdoff 0.6 MTF Nat Shearer 0.4 WTh
- E24: Year 1 Pip Tonkin 0.8 MTWTh/ Brooke Hamden 0.2 F
- E25: Year 1 Chloe Bremner 1.0
Year 2/3
- A1: Sophie Sutherland 1.0
- A3: Anita Wright 0.6 MTW/ Emma Bower 0.4 ThF
- A4: Renae Humphreys 0.8 MTThF/ Emma Bower 0.2 W
- A6: Kimberley Kennedy 1.0
Year 4
- C16: Bec Hepworth 0.8 MTWTh / Kristie Bunting 0.2 F
- C17: Steven Webster 1.0
Year 5/6
- B8: Andrea Grant 1.0
- B9: Tristan Fergusson 1.0
- B11: Mark Lemmey 1.0
- B12: Chantelle McMahon 0.8 Janine McKay 0.2
- B13: Alana Henderson 1.0
Specialist Teachers
- German: Carly Smith 0.8
- PE: Karen Pettman 0.6
- Technologies Years 4-6: Pearl Somerset 0.6
- Performing Arts: Jimmy Marin 0.7
- STEM Years R-3: Lisa Sporn 0.6
Student / Teacher Support Roles for 2026
- Reading Coach: Brooke Hamden 0.6
- Student Support: Janine McKay 0.6
- Early Years Support Term 1: Crystal Thanawathik 0.6 (6 weeks)
Leadership Team
- Assistant Principal: Beth Elliott
- Deputy Principal: Nicky Taylor
- Principal: Paul Luke
We look forward to a rewarding 2026 school year.