Meet our new Assistant Principals
Jacqui Maltezos – Assistant Principal (Learning and Teaching)
I have a deep passion for supporting teachers in building excellence and creating a school environment where both children and staff genuinely thrive. After teaching for ten years, I’ve become increasingly drawn to understanding how learning works, which led me to complete a Master’s degree in Evidence-Based Teaching at the University of Melbourne.
I’m especially fascinated by neuroscience and the insights it offers into how young minds grow, adapt and flourish.
In my work, I have led curriculum development and strengthened classroom practices that help teachers understand their students’ needs with greater clarity. I have also guided professional learning and coached teachers to use evidence-based strategies that strengthen student learning and growth. This includes ensuring strong alignment between policy, pedagogy, and student progress.
Outside of school, I’m a mum to a lively four-year-old who keeps my husband and me wonderfully busy. Parenthood constantly reminds me of the joy, curiosity, and unpredictability children bring to the world. It grounds my belief that every child deserves to feel seen, supported, and excited about learning.
At the heart of everything I do is a simple hope: that every student feels confident, curious and connected as they grow into who they are meant to be. Watching the teachers at Good Shepherd nurture this every day makes me proud to be part of such a caring community.
Aleisha Dixon – Assistant Principal (Student Management & Operations)
I have been working at Good Shepherd since 2014 in a range of roles from Classroom Teacher, Digital Technologies Specialist Teacher to Head of Specialists. Over my teaching career I have worked across state and independent Lutheran schools in Victoria and Queensland, teaching in Junior, Middle, Senior and Specialist departments.
In addition to my teaching role, I am a mother of three, all of which go to Good Shepherd. I love spending time outdoors with my family, especially going away in our caravan.
A new chapter in literacy: Good Shepherd launches Playberry Laser
This year, Good Shepherd is implementing a new literacy program which is designed to equip every student – from Prep to Year 6 – with the essential tools for lifelong reading and writing success.
The Playberry Laser program is an evidence-informed, structured synthetic phonics approach that teaches reading, spelling and writing in a sequential and systematic way over a student’s primary school journey. As students transition through primary school we can often see ‘gaps’ form in their literacy capabilities and this program aims to eliminate this by providing a unified language for learning across all year levels.
By using consistent routines, multisensory learning (seeing, saying, hearing and writing), and regular revision to help students build strong, long-term literacy skills, our approach supports confidence, fluency and automaticity as children progress through increasingly complex spelling patterns and word structures.
As students engage in the program, and continue to build literacy fluency and competence, our aim is to further enhance the capabilities of students who don't just read, but read with confidence, allowing them to focus on the deeper meaning and joy of the stories they encounter.
Beyond facts and figures: Teaching your child to ‘reason with evidence’.
In today's complex and often confusing world, simply providing our children with facts isn't enough. We must equip them with the tools to process and evaluate those facts, while confidently and purposefully navigating situations involving those facts. This skill is rooted in critical thinking, which is all about clear, rational and independent thought.
At Good Shepherd we recognise that critical thinking isn't just a passive activity; it's an active and ongoing process of reflection and understanding. It's about improving our thought processes by analysing, assessing and even challenging how we think. This ability is recognised as an essential learning skill – a foundational capability for deep and meaningful learning.
Importantly, this process directly prepares students to use logic and reasoning to make informed judgments and decisions, especially when facing new challenges.
The first step in building a logical mind is helping children understand the building blocks of knowledge: facts and opinions. A fundamental exercise in reasoning, often called ‘Fact or Opinion,’ requires students to distinguish between the two. We teach children that a fact is a statement that can be proven true or false, while an opinion is simply an expression of a feeling or point-of-view that can't be proven - the pursuit of truth!
Applying logic to real-life scenarios
Once the foundation of truth is set, the next challenge is applying logic. Activities like ‘Talk It Out’ use scenarios based on ethics and values to foster healthy, respectful debates. These exercises teach children the importance of taking a stance on an issue and defending it with logic and common sense. They also provide an opportunity to listen to and understand opposing perspectives, supported by evidence. At GSLPS we encourage students to evaluate their own stance, and even reconsider or change their minds if new evidence is presented.
There are many ways to practice this skill. For example, one popular activity explores the healthy balance between our needs and our wants, helping kids focus on what is truly important. In a ‘Needs vs Wants Trade-Off,’ students imagine they can have any three things they want. In return, they must give away three things they already have. They must then explain why they chose each item. This is excellent practice in justifying personal decisions and prioritising.
Thinking critically about the world
Finally, we can empower children to think about justice and order on a global scale. An example activity is ‘You Know the Rules.’ Since rules and laws are meant to guide us and keep society in order, students are challenged to imagine creating three rules that everyone in the world must follow. They must then provide detailed reasoning for why they chose those rules. This exercise moves thinking beyond a local context, requiring students to articulate their highest values and reinforce their self-regulated and self-corrective thinking.
By incorporating these practices into student learning – from classifying facts to debating dilemmas and creating global rules – we equip individuals with the cognitive skills to think critically, solve unfamiliar problems and, ultimately, lead lives guided by logic and purpose.
Good Shepherd’s Inaugural China Tour
Last year, eleven Year 6 students took part in Good Shepherd’s first-ever trip to China. The educational and cultural journey began in Beijing, where students explored the historic Temple of Heaven and took a rickshaw tour through ancient alleyways. The group then travelled to a secluded section of the Great Wall of China at Huanghuacheng, where they enjoyed a guided walk of the wall.
From there, a high-speed train took them to Nanjing to visit our sister school, Nanjing Lasa Road Primary School. This is our first visit to our sister school, and students spent the day practising their Chinese language skills by attending classes and participating in activities like Kung-fu and tea ceremonies.
The final part of the trip was in Shanghai, where students experienced the city's unique mix of history and innovation. They took a stroll along the Bund for stunning views of the skyline, including the famous Oriental Pearl TV Tower, and enjoyed a day at Shanghai Disneyland. The journey concluded with a visit to the Yu Yuan Gardens and a traditional dumpling lunch before heading home. This landmark trip provided students with an unforgettable experience, blending historical education with cultural immersion. We look forward to building on our relationship with our sister school on future trips to China and when we host them at Good Shepherd this year.
