Our Teachers
Matt Bale – School Chair
Matt took on the School Chair role in 2021, and also teaches Science, Woodwork and Construction in the Secondary School.
Previously a furniture designer, Matt has a keen eye for detail and design and incorporates this practical knowledge into kinaesthetic learning experiences for his students. He has also attended many Professional Learning intensives to deepen his understanding of Steiner Philosophy throughout his time at Tarremah.
Contact: mattb@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Seth Ireland – Primary Teacher
Seth is a Class Teacher in the primary school. He is very experienced with children, having had six of his own. He enjoys attending the Glenaeon Steiner Intensives to deepen his understanding of Steiner Philosophy.
Contact: sethi@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Elise Blacher – Primary Teacher
Elise spends her days with twenty six young souls, who teach her just as much as she teaches them. She has previously taken a group of children through to Class 6 and has worked as a Craft Teacher, in the Early Childhood Centre and in administration.
Elise has completed seven years of Primary Steiner Teacher Training Intensives as well as many in-house and external courses and is currently studying anthroposophical leadership and ethics. Her own two children have now graduated from Tarremah but like to return to celebrate the seasonal festivals which they have grown to love.
Contact: eliseb@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Kaara Tilasmi – Early Childhood Teacher
Kaara has worked at Tarremah in a variety of roles over many years, beginning with working with families in Playgroup. Kaara has also been a teacher’s aide in Kindergarten, an Early Childhood teacher, a Handcraft and Cooking teacher, and is now currently a Primary Class teacher.
Within her work as a teacher Kaara combines a love of nature and the outdoors, children and families, a curious mind, and an interest in the world. Kaara’s previous career was in the performing Arts (Dance) as a performer, before moving into teaching dance to children and adults.
When not at school Kaara enjoys time bushwalking and camping with her family, gardening, and meditation. She has four children who have all benefited from experiencing Steiner Education.
Contact: kaarat@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Isabella Kumpulainen – Primary Teacher
Bel first encountered Rudolf Steiner’s approach to education on
a visit to a market garden that was originally attached to Tarremah. She had been working for several years establishing a biodynamic olive grove in Cambridge and establishing a small biodynamic farm on her home property in Lower Longley. After a tour of the school she was convinced that Tarremah was offering the kind of education she wanted for her children.
Not long after that Bel retired from her career in science and returned to university to gain a Master of Teaching qualification. She worked as a Playgroup Leader and aide in the ECC at Tarremah during this time and engaged in as many Steiner Teacher training opportunities as she could.
Now a class teacher in the primary school, Bel continues to deepen her understanding of Steiner education through her studies and her experience working with young children.
Contact: isabellak@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Michelle Hudspeth – Secondary Teacher
Michelle discovered Tarremah 15 years ago with her young family and since then it has held a special place in her heart. She returned last year as a teacher. Her experiences working in science, wilderness therapy and outdoor education and parenting three children inform her teaching practice in the high school.
Michelle is passionate about teaching maths and science and works in the high school classes to bring these subjects to students in a creative and dynamic way. She is now Guardian to the class 7 students and is looking forward to sharing their journey through the high school.
Contact: michelle.hudspeth@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Brett Tait – Secondary Teacher
Brett has been a High School teacher since 2001. He has taught in private and public schools in both New South Wales and Victoria before participating in the Glenaeon Steiner Teacher Training Course in 2007. Brett has experienced teaching practices at Lorien Novalis, Orana and Bowral Steiner School, before moving in 2008 to Tasmania with his family, to work at Tarremah.
In that time he has taken students from Class 6, through the Middle School a total of three times, and taken a class from Class 6 through to their graduation in Class 10.
Brett teaches History and English and Art. Although sometimes he has taught IT, Cooking, Legal Studies, Movement, and on the odd occasion, Sewing!
Understanding Steiner’s philosophies and pedagogies are of immense interest to Brett, especially in regards to how those philosophies and pedagogies can be practiced and expressed in a way that is contemporary, truly embedded in the modern context, and reflective of the progressive spirit of Steiner’s original ideas.
Contact: brettt@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Greg Orr – Secondary Teacher
Greg is our HPE and Physiology teacher for classes 6-10, a role that he combines with his work as a Secondary Class Guardian.
After a number of years exploring a variety of schooling approaches, both whilst studying his bachelor’s degree in human Movement and Health Education at Sydney University and whilst working in a range of Sydney schools, Greg concluded that Steiner education makes so much sense and resolves the issues found in traditional schooling more than anything else he’d seen.
Moving to Tasmania with his young family in 2018, Greg began his journey at Tarremah along with his wife and four kids, and is loving the freedom to grow in his knowledge and application of Steiner Philosophy through attending the High School Learning Intensives, personal reading and development, networking and developing mentoring relationships with experienced Steiner teachers, Bothmer specialists and Health teachers across the country.
Contact: greg.0rr@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Katie Newfield – Secondary Teacher
Katie is a secondary English and Drama teacher at Tarremah. She was drawn to Tarremah because of the depth of its English curriculum and its committment to supporting dramatic performances. Katie has been the Class 10 Guardian, co-ordinating work experience and college transitions.
Prior to Tarremah, Katie completed the Teach for Australia program which is aimed at reducing educational inequity in Australia. She hopes to share this sense of responsibility and passion for social justice to students at Tarremah.
Contact: katie.newfield@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Emily Wolfe – Strings Teacher
Emily Wolfe has been working at Tarremah Steiner School since 2015, leading the strings program teaching classes four-six in violin and cello. She is one of the most versatile contemporary violinists in Hobart playing in various bands around the state and has toured interstate.
Emily has studied at the Conservatorium of Music, finishing a bachelor’s degree in contemporary violin, and went to a Masters of Teaching at the University of Tasmania.
Contact: emilyw@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Frank Toman – Outdoor Education Teacher
Frank has taught in many different schools since 1991, before finding a home at Tarremah. He was a pioneering teacher of the high school before realizing a passion in outdoor education.
Frank believes it is the Tasmanian bush which originally brought many folk to live here. In his own words, “My own small children are beginning to experience the wonders and realness of this world … so I’m discovering anew the delight of going slowly and being in the moment.”
Contact: frankt@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Gina Rose – Music Co-ordinator
Gina is the music coordinator at Tarremah, teaching classes in both the primary and upper school.
Her background is in classical voice performance and teaching after attaining post-graduate degrees in both Music Performance and Teaching at UTAS. Gina has performed in various opera, music theatre and concert repertoire for a number of years whilst also teaching in schools, from her own vocal studio, and at the UTAS Conservatorium of Music.
Gina taught Aural Studies at UTAS for a year and directed the Conservatorium Vocal Ensemble for 7 years. Whilst at the Conservatorium of Music, Gina was awarded the Churchill Trust Fellowship, which took her to Finland, Hungary and London to further study aural training in developing singers in 2009.
Gina loves living in the Channel with her husband, young daughter and two lazy, retired greyhounds.
Contact:ginar@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Hayley Platts – Secondary Teacher
Hayley has taught Japanese at Tarremah in both the Primary and High School since 2014. Since then, she has led Class 9 and 10 students on three life-changing trips to Japan.
In addition to Japanese teaching, Hayley has spent the past six years guiding Secondary students through their time at Tarremah as a Class Guardian, and teaches Physical education to Classes 4 and 5, Geography to Secondary Classes, and cooking in the middle school. She is also mum to Cleo the Therapy dog, who brings love and tail wags to the staff and students of Tarremah.
Hayley’s journey through Steiner education has led her to attend multiple Bothmer Intensives, led by Dan Freeman, and to study at the High School Intensive at the Melbourne Rudolf Steiner School.
Contact: hayley.platts@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Jade Stephens – Japanese Teacher
Jade graduated from the University of Tasmania with a Bachelor of Teaching in 2007 specialising in English literacy and Japanese language education. She has travelled extensively throughout Southeast Asia and has taught in schools in Indonesia, Thailand and most recently Japan. Jade’s two decades of teaching experience has provided her with an awareness of the rewarding nature of teaching students from a variety of backgrounds and age groups.
Jade currently teaches Japanese from grades 1-4 at Tarremah Steiner School. She thoroughly enjoys teaching a subject she is so passionate about and aims to instil curiosity and interest in Japanese culture and language.
Contact: jade.stephens@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Jesse Johnston – Maths and Science Teacher
Jesse has recently entered the world of teaching and has joined Tarremah as a mathematics, science, and IT teacher for the high school classes.
She has a genuine love for exploring mathematics, and Tarremah has offered the flexibility to run lessons that provide more opportunity for her to share this love of mathematics with her students.
Contact: jesse.johnston@tarremah.tas.edu.au
John Correy – Outdoor Education
John utilises his years of experience as a primary and high school teacher. He has been both a primary and high school teacher at Tarremah and has co-ordinated pathways programmes and work experience in the upper classes.
Being a science, mathematics and outdoor specialist John felt that Tarremah offered such diverse educational opportunities much richer in the arts, music and academic areas than his own schooling.
With a love of the outdoors, John co-ordinates the outdoor education program which takes him on many journeys around Tasmania. A true bush-man, John spends the school holidays ‘somewhere’ in remote Tasmania.
Contact: johnc@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Margaret Perversi – Craft Teacher
Margaret has been involved with Tarremah for many years – one of the sporting houses even bears her name!
She has worked as a Class Teacher and Music teacher, and she currently teaches craft to students from Classes 1-7.
Contact: margaretp@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Rosie Barry – Craft Teacher
Rosie works as a craft teacher in the Secondary School. She is an experienced crafter and teacher, and a loving mother of four children.
Michael Rowland – Landcraft Teacher
Michael began his relationship with Tarremah School in 1997 as a parent of two in playgroup; later becoming a playgroup Co-leader telling stories and needing dough. His children moved through kinder and classes 1,2 and 3, when in 2004 his family moved to WA.
Returning to Tarremah in 2016, he now maintains a personal study of Waldorf education and passion to nurture the ‘whole child’. Michael has a background in farming, a range of metal and building trades and Natural resource management. Michael’s teaching experience includes: Drama, Music, Horticulture, Media studies, Humanities and Manual Arts.
Michael’s focus for educating children in Landcraft is to share with them the satisfaction of working with materials on the land; exploring the natural world and to teach them the very broad range of skills needed to work with tools, the land and nature.
Contact: michaelr@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Sue Bottrill – Primary Learning Support
I first shared a teaching position on a Class 5/6 at Tarremah many years ago. I then took on a role as a craft teacher here for a good number of years. Alongside this I worked on Extra Lessons for class groups.
I then was given the role of Learning Support Teacher for the whole school which I did for many years, until we split this role. Suzie Thomas now coordinates and oversees the High School and we are both supported by a great team of teacher aides.
I have a Bachelor in Education, and an Advanced Diploma, and have done Extra Lesson training in Sydney with Lalage Craig.
I love my work with the children and still seem to go home each day having learnt something new, or having had a chuckle or giggle within my day’s work.
Since the bushfire season, and the crazy floods, I have been spending increasing hours supporting rescue animals. I enjoy my own animals, making a new garden, reading and sewing.
Contact:suebottrill@tarremah.tas.edu.au
Ursula Miklauschina – German Teacher
Ursula obtained her teaching degree for languages at Secondary Schools in Switzerland and taught in that capacity for a number of years. After moving permanently to Tasmania in 2000, Ursula worked as an Information Officer at Hastings Caves for a while.
At Tarremah Steiner School, she teaches German to all grades, from one to ten; she also coordinates an exchange program with two German Waldorf Schools.
The wholistic and developmentally staged approach to teaching that Steiner education offers, appeals to her and she really enjoys working with the younger children, an experience previously unknown to her.
She has a passion for working with the animals on her farm and loves the Australian bush.
Contact:ursulam@tarremah.tas.edu.au