Newsletter

G’day! My name is Luke and I relocated to Melbourne in January with my family and started at St Aloysius in early February.

I have worked in the education sector for over thirteen years and spent the previous seven and a half years teaching Religious Education at an outstanding Catholic school in the south-east of merry ol’ England. During that time, I held both departmental and pastoral leadership positions and also, completed a Masters in Christian Spirituality.

Outside of school, I am a massive Coventry City fan but evidently chose the wrong time to migrate across the world as I’ve missed out on all the promotion celebrations as a result of our return to the Premier League. However, I’ve adopted the Western Bulldogs as my new favorite team, so I’ll settle into that familial rhythm of hope, followed by disappointed, followed by despair as the AFL season progresses.

It is with great excitement that we welcome our 2026 Italian Language Assistant, Chiara Mancini, to our school community!

We are very fortunate to have been selected from many schools teaching Italian to host a Language Assistant through the Italian Language Assistant Program, organised by CO.AS.IT. and sponsored by the Italian Government to promote Italian language and culture.

Chiara comes from Rome and is a university graduate with a Master’s degree from Sapienza University of Rome in Philosophy, History, and Literature of the Ancient World. Her studies focused on Italian and Classical linguistics and literature. She has also recently obtained her qualification to teach Italian as a second language (CEDILS), and brings valuable experience working with young people through her role as a Scout Leader.

Passionate about languages, culture, and education, Chiara is an exciting addition to our Italian program. We eagerly look forward to the energy, cultural insights, and fresh ideas she will bring to our classrooms and the wider school community!

Prof. Stangherlin, Prof. Schiliro & Prof. Marquet.

Hi there, my name is Shannon and I am very excited to be joining St Aloysius in 2026 as a Learning Support Officer. I have a keen passion for mathematics and the physical sciences, and I look forward to sharing this enthusiasm with students as I work closely with them to support their learning needs and build their confidence in the classroom.

I am currently a student at the University of Melbourne, studying mechanical engineering. In these studies, I am particularly enjoying seeing the math and science I am learning tie together into real world design and innovation applications. I hope to transfer the problem-solving skills my degree is teaching me into the classroom and encourage students to approach their learning with persistence and out of the box thinking.

Outside of study and work, my main passion is running, especially around the parks of North Melbourne. Before I moved to Melbourne, I was an avid horse rider in Tasmania, and I have carried this love of being outdoors and in nature into my life here in Melbourne.

Hello! My name is Madeleine, and I’m new to the St Aloysius administration and DTIC team. I have loved getting to know the college so far and am looking forward to getting to know you all too. I did my undergrad in Creative Writing, then spent the last few years working in higher education in Student and Academic Support roles, and recently I have gone back to study to get my librarianship. In my spare time you can find me attempting to finish all the books on my shelves before I buy more (this is not going well), watching murder mysteries (this is going extremely well), and wandering the various libraries of Melbourne.

My name is Lachlan Manuel, and I am excited to be joining St Aloysius this semester. I have recently relocated from Canberra, where I have taught Japanese and Humanities for the past seven years. I have a passion for Japanese language and culture and enjoy both experiencing it firsthand and sharing it with others whenever I can. At St Aloysius, I look forward to strengthening the connection between our school and our Sister School in Kyoto, as well as creating more opportunities for students to experience Japan and its culture.

Alongside my interest in Japan, I enjoy reading about the ancient world, particularly Ancient Rome, and exploring how much our lives have changed, or perhaps, in some ways, stayed the same since then. Outside of school, I enjoy playing sport, particularly AFL and golf. I'm a passionate Carlton supporter and enjoy playing local football. I'm also a fan of anime and manga and enjoy reading all kinds of books in my spare time.

Hi everyone, I’m Alex and I will be joining the St Aloysius team as a teacher. I previously taught computer science and IT in a college back in the UK. Now that I’m living in Melbourne, I’m excited to share my love of math and technology with the students here. I first got involved with programming when I was a teenager, where I would spend hours working on projects every day in the Unity Game Engine. This eventually led me to study computer science at the University of Manchester, and in turn a teaching degree at the Manchester Metropolitan University. In my free time I love wandering around Melbourne, playing board games with friends, and crying over my lost Duolingo streak.

Hello, I’m Simone. I'm thrilled to be joining St Aloysius College as the new Laboratory and Scientific Research Manager. Before joining the College, I spent over 15 years as a Research Scientist with Agriculture Victoria, where I worked in metabolomics and agricultural research. I have a PhD in Applied Systems Biology (botany), and I love everything to do with plants and microbes. I'm excited to take my career in a new direction by becoming part of a school community and supporting students and teachers in the science labs.

Outside of work, I love gardening, browsing op shops and getting stuck into home DIY projects. I'm always finding a new craft hobby to try (and usually collecting all the supplies before I've finished the last one!). I’m passionate about teaching the next generation of scientists about real-word laboratory and research techniques, so I'm looking forward to getting to know everyone around the College.

Hi everyone! I’m Mikayla, originally from Western Australia, and I’m excited to be joining the team as a Learning Support Officer. I’ve previously worked in schools, where I assisted sporting programs and coached a variety of sports teams. I’m looking forward to supporting students in their learning and engagement in this new role. Outside of work, you’ll usually find me playing football, which has been a huge part of my life for years. When I’m not training or playing, I'll be playing golf and I also love spending time with my retired racing greyhound, who keeps life entertaining. I look forward to meeting you all.