Our Staff

THROUGH PRESENCE, AUTHENTICITY AND BY CULTIVATING AWARENESS  –

Our teachers lead student learning with the Australian Dharma Curriculum.

Our faculty are as diverse as our community but have one thing in common; we all believe that wisdom coupled with compassion in education is the essential foundation for this generation of learners. Our goal is to help students connect with their authentic, unique selves and grow into informed, aware and compassionate citizens.

Meet our People

Check out our careers

Think you’d like to work with the Dharma School?

Andrea Furness

“Compassion and tolerance are not a sign of weakness, but a sign of strength.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Andrea Furness

SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Formal Qualifications:
Bachelor of Health Science – HONS, Victoria University.

I was the co-founder of the school under the guidance of Tibetan Buddhist monk Geshe Konchok Tsering. I was the first principal from 2009-12 and worked closely with our founding vision, the original Board and school community to establish the school as the first of its kind in Australia. It is such an important undertaking to establish a contemporary education system that is founded upon the compassion and wisdom philosophical teachings of the Buddha and requires many interdependent skills, support and advice across many levels.

Previous engagement with the school:
I have worked across many areas within the school and Board since the idea for a buddhist philosophical primary school was introduced in 2005. My time has included a break for 2 years when I moved away from Daylesford which gave me an awareness of how unique and important the vision of the school is and how it enriches the lives of all who work to both establish and experience the vision and values of the school.

Buddha Dharma Experience:
I have been a student of Mahayana Buddhism since the early 80’s and began undertaking studies and retreats in my early 20’s. I think that being a parent has been a great motivator for me in holding with the Buddha’s teachings and integrating them into the way of family living.

Relevant skills:
Established the first registration of the school in Victoria. Managed the school operations and development of policies and procedures as the first Principal. 20 years of service and support to community groups within the Daylesford community. Teaching in the tertiary and private sector in performing arts practice. Supervising student health science clinical placements in the tertiary sector.

Current profession:
I work in the allied health sector as a Chinese medicine practitioner with specialist areas of interest. I have a practice in Daylesford and Ballarat.

What do you hope to achieve while serving as an Interim Principal?
I hope to see the school establish itself as an education leader in developing the inner qualities of students that enhances the expected physical, social and academic elements of the Australian curriculum. Particularly of interest to me is how we as a school support the development of compassion, the wisdom view, kindness and ethical responsibility as intrinsic in our students.

“Good conduct is the way in which life becomes more meaningful, more constructive and more
peaceful. For this, much depends on our own behaviour and our mental attitude.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Tanya Wiggin

Learning Manager

What inspired you to join the Dharma School? 

I had a keen interest in teaching approaches that supported the development of social-emotional learning in a more considered way since I began teaching in 1994. I was also interested in how we can support agency in young children to support them in being active and connected members of their local community. In 2003 I attended a seminar on developing optimism in young children which was based on the work by Martin Seligman and from then on I was hooked!  How could I cultivate hearts and minds through my teaching that supported the development of resilience, happiness, optimism, agency and gratitude in the students I was privileged to teach?  I heard about the Dharma School when I first moved to Ballarat in 2010 and had looked at the website thinking how wonderful and innovative it was to see a primary school with an educational approach that sought to cultivate wisdom and compassion. By chance I saw a job for a Prep-Grade 2 teacher at the Dharma School advertised in the local paper in May 2010 and an energising and inspiring journey began!

Where did you complete your formal education?

Bachelor of Science Human Movement Science –  RMIT Bundoora
Graduate Diploma of Education (Primary) -La Trobe Uni Bundoora
Graduate Diploma of TESOL – LaTrobe Uni Bundoora
Master of Education (Research) – Federation University Mt Helen (High Distinction)
Minor Thesis: How do Pre-service teachers develop knowledge about sustainability and environmental education in a regional university education course?

What did you enjoy most about your own experiences as a student?

As a student I loved learning about everything! Understanding how things worked, working with others and most of all being able to work on real projects that were meaningful. I was lucky enough to attend a small rural school with 25 students where my teachers realised that they could teach all of the curriculum through meaningful projects. We organised Koala counts, built our own play equipment, organised fundraisers, organised our own school concerts and had the chance to visit experts in our local area for almost any investigation we were doing!

How long have you worked in education and what have your roles been?

I started teaching in 1994 where I was lucky enough to pick up a teaching role as a Prep – Grade 2, Phys Ed, Dance and Gymnastics teacher in a large independent school. After a few years of teaching PE I moved schools in 2000 and decided to head into the classroom where I taught across all grades and developed a particular love of teaching maths, science and humanities using inquiry based learning approaches. My roles have varied across the years where I have coordinated science, inquiry learning and inclusive education programs.  I have implemented sustainability education programs and student led learning initiatives, which involved creating and running professional development for other teachers in the Northern Metropolitan region where I was working.

When I moved to Ballarat at the start of 2010 I began working at Federation University in the School of Education, mentoring pre-service teachers during their school placements and teaching a number of courses including Sustainability Education, Literacy, Wellbeing & Engagement, Social Enterprise Education and Inclusive Education.  I also began teaching at the Dharma School in 2010 teaching Prep – Grade 2 three days a week. I am still lucky enough to work at both the Dharma School as the Learning Manager and at Federation University and have just finished my Masters in Sustainability Education.

What are your interests when you are not changing the world through education?

My interests are very varied! My love of nature influences much of my recreational time, where you will likely find me: on my mountain bike, hiking, snowboarding, walking my dogs, making short movies, reading, photographing wildflowers (sometimes whilst mountain biking much to the amusement of my family!), at yoga, gardening or revegetating Durham Lead with my local Landcare group. I also love playing Old Time and Bluegrass music with a couple of local bands. Nothing sounds sweeter than the twang of a banjo!

Dr Genevieve Blades

“It is important to know the exact meaning of compassion. The Buddhist interpretation is that
genuine compassion is based on a clear acceptance or recognition that others, like oneself,
want happiness and the right to overcome suffering. On that basis, one develops some kind of
concern about the welfare of others, irrespective of their attitude to oneself. That is
compassion.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Dr Genevieve Blades

Bush School Consultant

Formal Qualifications

  • PhD Doctor of Philosophy, School of Education La Trobe University; 
  • Master of Arts (Social Ecology) University of Western Sydney; 
  • Undergraduate degree in Human Movement Studies (Education, Honours) University of Queensland

Motivation for joining the Dharma School

My passion as an educator and long term connection with the school are reasons that I joined the DESC and support the Board. I am now working part time and have the time and space to focus on supporting the school in developing its curriculum and pedagogy.

Previous engagement

I was a Board member and Chair of the Board from the school’s beginning in 2008 to 2016.

Relevant experiences

Dharma practice and study; Educator (School aged students and tertiary students) over a 30 year period; My specialty area is environmental outdoor education in which I have taught in schools and tertiary settings; Organised, developed and implemented a range of curriculum in schools and University; written curriculum documents;  I have trained as a facilitator for environmental sustainability programmes;  developed and implemented professional development for teachers in schools; researcher (having recently completed an award winning PhD).

Relevant skills

Experienced in delivering quality teaching and learning (pedagogy); environmental and outdoor skills; knowledge of school-based curriculum in Victoria.

Current profession

I am currently working as an independent researcher and educator. I am developing the Bush School program with the teaching staff at the Daylesford Dharma School.

 

 

“… the greater the force of your altruistic attitude towards sentient beings, the more courageous
you become. The greater your courage, the less you feel prone to discouragement and loss of
hope. Therefore, compassion is also a source of inner strength.”

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Rosie Berenyi-Mansell

Administration Manager

What inspired you to join the Dharma School? 

I believe education’s primary role is not to prepare children just for the workforce, in a future we can’t even imagine, but to also support their inner qualities to be responsible and compassionate people of their generation. For me the Dharma School offered an approach that is both about the individual and with compassion at its heart, and I wanted to support this alternative being available to students.

Where did you complete your formal education?

I was homeschooled throughout my primary and secondary education, and this gave me experience of an education alternative and the pathways your learning can take beyond a mainstream structure. This grew in me a strong belief that an individual’s education experience is just that individual, we all have our own interests, attributes and and strengths. After finishing my high school education I was able to study a Cert III in Business Administration while in my previous role with The Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre. I have gained over 13 years experience in the administration field throughout my career.

What did you enjoy most about your own experiences as a student? 

Due to the small class size my teachers were able to tailor the content to my interests, which engaged my passion for learning. I enjoyed the opportunity to work with multi age groups, and the flexibility of the classroom location. My teachers adopted a relaxed approach to a set structure, which enabled me to capture and fully explore a thread of interest or creativity, for as long as it naturally ran. This meant my creativity did not feel scheduled or time controlled.

How long have you worked in education and what have your roles been?

In my early career after a number of different industries administration I was lucky to begin a role working at the Daylesford Neighbourhood Centre, this enabled me to support a team of tertiary educators, and VCAL teachers. These experiences strengthened my belief in alternative education approaches and that the mainstream simply doesn’t work for everyone. I was excited to join the Daylesford Dharma School in 2014 and become part of the team.

What are your interests when you are not changing the world through education?

I am a crafty person who enjoys making many things myself. I find it immensely rewarding making things myself, from homemade preserves from my garden, sourdough bread and other crafts. I also greatly enjoy kayaking during the summer holidays, I find the quiet of my kayak enables me to observe so much nature.

“Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away”.

Maya Angelou

Angelique Downing

Foundation & Grade 1/2

What inspired you to join the Dharma School?

It was a moment of serendipity that brought me to the Dharma school. I had just fallen in love with a little cottage up here after a weekend away and decided that if I was actually seriously going to give up my life in Melbourne and move to Daylesford, I would need to find a teaching job here. I looked online for schools and saw the phone number for the Dharma school, knowing nothing about it or that it so beautifully aligned with my own beliefs around spirituality.  Rosie answered the phone and when I explained my crazy idea, she informed me that they had actually just advertised for a full time position for next year. The rest, as they say, is history. Such a  perfect example of the stars aligning just at the right time.

Where did you complete your formal education?

I began my education at St Bede’s in North Balwyn but moved to the Gold Coast and completed Year 1 -12 at Marymount College. I did my teaching degree at Latrobe University in Bundoora.

What did you enjoy most about your own experiences as a student?

I always really enjoyed learning ways to creatively teach and to inspire children. I loved the idea of igniting the spark in every child to explore their world and find the things they love to learn through.

How long have you worked in education and what have your roles been?

I have worked in education for 10 years and have always chosen to teach in the Junior classes.
The littlies are so adorable and they light up my days.

What are your interests when you are not changing the world through education? 

I have a passion for travel and photography, writing and I also studied interior design prior to teaching and love it. Weekends you will find me searching for treasures at markets, salsa dancing and spending long days at the beach with my favourite books and a notepad.

Since all is empty, all is possible.

Nagarjuna

Gabrielle Magree

Grade 3/4

What inspired you to join the Dharma School?

On a spiritual level the Buddha Dharma has illuminated a path which has allowed a level of equanimity to begin manifesting in my mind and permeating out into my sense of being in this world. To have the opportunity to work at a school which strives for alignment with the Dharma is a wish come true. On a professional level, the Dharma School has an amazing and supportive workplace culture. On a personal level, as a parent of two Dharma School students, I experience this same ethos of care within the community of Dharma School families and relish the attentiveness and responsiveness of the Dharma School staff. Sounds attractive right? Everyday is an absolute joy! It is this cumulation of experiences which draws me to pursuing ongoing employment with the Dharma School.

Where did you complete your formal education?

I am thankful to have completed my Primary and Secondary education through the Catholic education system, as this gave me a foundation in ethical conduct. I am currently in my fourth year of studying at Federation University, completing a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary). I am teaching at the Dharma School under a Permission to Teach granted by the Victorian Institute of Teaching.

What did you enjoy most about your own experiences as a student?

My experiences as a student have not ended nor will they cease to end, as living is learning. Every experience is an opportunity to develop a deeper understanding and extend ourselves in a more sincere and meaningful way to others, as such, even the most challenging and uncomfortable experiences hold a level of joy within them.

How long have you worked in education and what have your roles been?

I have been working in education in various forms since 2014. I began work in the education and care sector on a remote cattle station on Waanyi Country where I worked as a governess with School of the Air. Succeeded by a year of volunteering as an English tutor in Northern India. These two experiences with the education system drew me to studying teaching and ignited a desire to challenge and rethink education within an Australian context by finding new ways of doing within the system. Fortunately, the Dharma School is doing just that!

What are your interests when you are not changing the world through education?

I love drawing, practicing and refining my Tibetan calligraphy, walking and being with, in and part of nature, volunteering, reading. However, most of all, I love being present in the space of my family.

“We are children of the earth. We rely on the earth, and the earth relies on us… Please touch the earth in mindfulness, with joy and concentration. The earth will heal you, and you will heal the earth.” 

Thich Nhat Hanh

Dr Rachel Taylor

Grade 5/6

What’s your role at the Dharma School?

I am a qualified primary teacher and will be stepping into the Playgroup Coordinator role at the Dharma School in terms 3 and 4 in 2023. The playgroup will offer a fantastic opportunity for local families with pre-school aged children to spend time together each Friday morning from 10am – 11.30am in the beautifully nurturing atmosphere of the Dharma School setting.

As part of our gathering, each playgroup session may include a range of play-based activities, including games, reading stories, singing and dancing, simple cooking activities, and outside play (including opportunities to get messy!) 

The sessions are designed to be flexible and will evolve in line with the input and feedback of those attending. My intention is to create lots of different ways for expression and connection, and to make this a truly inclusive, relaxed and happy space for children and parents alike. I have a four-year-old daughter who is very excited to attend too! I look forward to meeting new faces in the coming weeks as our group starts to meet each Friday.

What inspired you to join the Dharma School?

I feel so happy as I walk into this school at the beginning of each school day! The Dharma School offers a truly unique and inspiring educational setting. As a school it not only develops the academic capacities of students, but also fosters the individual and collective capacity for kindness, curiosity, resilience, ethical responsibility and compassion. With so many critical challenges ahead in the coming decades, I believe we need to reimagine what it means to be wise, so that we can better understand our own lives and how interconnected we are to each other and to all life on this beautiful planet. Our students are such incredible examples of this. It is truly wonderful to see the Buddhist philosophy come to life in the everyday moments and opportunities we all share together. To work within a school that deeply honours the inner compassion and wisdom of every child is a true privilege and joy. 

Where did you complete your formal education?

Bachelor of Arts (International Studies), RMIT University
Bachelor of Teaching – Primary (Honours), University of Melbourne
PhD Doctor of Philosophy, University of Tasmania

What did you enjoy most about your own experiences as a student?

I’ve actively tried to ‘unlearn’ some of my earlier tendencies as a student! I was raised in a big family full of teachers, including both my parents, so there was always a strong valuing of education. I felt a pressure to do well at school, to strive to attain the ‘right’ answers, and to not ask questions that could make me seem weird. Over the past decade or so, I’ve started to deeply question this mode of being, to find a more authentic way to live and learn. My wonderful family life with young children, engaging with the Buddhist teachings, and being around inspiring people every day are all incredible opportunities for me to humbly walk the path as a student in a fresh, new way. I no longer believe that right answers are the most vital thing that demonstrates my worth. Instead, I’m discovering that a ‘beginner’s mind’ keeps me alive to the richness all around me, that creativity knows no bounds, and that asking weird questions is exhilarating and essential to learning!

How long have you worked in education and what have your roles been?

For the past 15 years, my path as an educator has varied from teaching in a remote indigenous community in Far North Queensland, to running educational programs for people with disabilities, and lecturing in university courses. I am excited to embark on a new role as the playgroup leader at the Dharma School, alongside the casual teaching work I have been undertaking at the school throughout 2023.  

What are your interests when you are not changing the world through education?

Being with my family, spending time with mother earth, and joining my Plum Village sangha for meditation are the facets of my life I couldn’t do without. My partner and I have established and operate a small regenerative berry and vegetable farm in Newlyn, about 15 minutes out of Daylesford. When I’m not teaching, I am often getting my hands dirty on the farm or in our garden! 

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”

Anais Nin

Bronte Spicer

Grade 3/4

What inspired you to join the Dharma School?

I was inspired to join Daylesford Dharma School because it values and supports wellbeing and personal, social and emotional learning as much as literacy and numeracy. The emphasis on awareness, nature connection and integrated learning such as Bush School and Noble Silence were also big draw cards. The encouragement for spiritual connection was the cherry on top for me!


Where did you complete your formal education?

 

Camberwell Girls’ Grammar School.

What did you enjoy most about your own experiences as a student?

 

Being seen, supported and cared for by my teachers was special for me. I loved the outdoor education based camps, being with friends and being given more choice and independence in my learning as I got older. 

How long have you worked in education and what have your roles been?

 

I began my teaching career in 2006 as a Casual Relief Teacher in Melbourne. Since then I have worked as a classroom teacher at Templestowe Valley PS, Jacana School for Autism and Bendigo Special Developmental School. For the past ten years I have been a private teacher, teaching meditation, mindfulness and emotional intelligence skills to children, parents and teachers to ease anxiety, depression and raging emotions and improve mental health and emotional wellbeing. 

What are your interests when you are not changing the world through education? 

 
I love to practice yoga, go camping with my husband and three children (Jackson, Ivy and Maggie), read books, listen and dance to live music and be on spiritual retreats.
 

 

“The purpose of life is to be happy”.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Patsy Taylor

Specialist: Visual Arts

1. What inspired you to join the Dharma School? 

As my approach to life and to teaching is to be mindful and caring, I feel aligned with the Buddhist precepts that the Daylesford Dharma School upholds. Having an appreciation for the development of wisdom and compassion, I respect the school’s focus on kindness and universal responsibility.

I really appreciate starting the school day with a group meditation session.

2. Where did you complete your formal education?

I completed a Bachelor of Visual Arts/ Bachelor of Education from Federation University in Ballarat.

3. What did you enjoy most about your own experiences as a student?

Art has been my passion since High School. I was inspired by the creative challenges that I was given. Enthusiastic about participating in all the arts subjects, I took them all on with gusto from Drama and Photography to Design and Visual Arts.

4. How long have you worked in education and what have your roles been?

Loving the role of Visual Arts teacher at the Dharma School, I have come lately to this profession, through the evolving trajectory of my life.  Last year, I was an Art Teacher at Black Hill Primary School. I’ve also been a Casual Relief Teacher for the last couple of years.

5. What are your interests when you are not changing the world through education?

Recently I have been obsessed with regenerating a section of once weed infested road reserve that adjoins my property.

I create wild abstract paintings that respond to the inspiring natural landscapes that surround my home in Hepburn Springs.

“The most basic condition for happiness is freedom. Here we do not mean political freedom, but
freedom from the mental formations of anger, despair, jealousy, and delusion… As long as these
poisons are still in our heart, happiness cannot be possible.”

Thích Nhất Hạnh, Anger: Buddhist Wisdom for Cooling the Flames

Jo Tsakoumagos

Specialist: Performing Arts

1. What inspired you to join the Dharma School? 

I have been inspired to teach at Dharma for some time. I was drawn to the school in 2012, when my daughter Artemis began attending the playgroup sessions when she was only just beginning to crawl. I was instantly warmed by the school’s ethos on compassion and kindness.  The Dharma school alignment with my own whole-child-focused approach to education.

2. Where did you complete your formal education?

As a student myself, I enjoyed self-expression and exploring imagination through the arts. I was inspired by workshops using play to explore creative impulses for developing material. My most inspired teachers taught me how to craft word to effect. This fuelled a passion for the powerful use of language and word.

3. What did you enjoy most about your own experiences as a student?

In the early 90s I completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Performance Studies and Literature and my Dip Ed in Drama and English at The Victorian University. I also studied teacher training at the Warranwood Waldorf Steiner School. Together, these courses further informed my passion for performance making and empowering students through the creative process.

4. How long have you worked in education and what have your roles been?

I have been teaching Drama, Dance, Theatre Studies at Castlemaine Secondary College, since 1995, at all year levels. Including the school’s Year 9 & 10 Steiner Education Stream. In 2004, I founded the Inside Out Dance Theatre School in Daylesford, providing a range of classes and concerts for students of all ages.

5. What are your interests when you are not changing the world through education?

Through the creative process, students explore the humanity within themselves, their classmates, and the world. In Performing arts, students work in a team orientated approach and develop tolerance and empathy. In performance work, we improve our ability to understand ourselves, people and life situations.

Venerable Lekdron

“What you’re doing now, or have done in the past, need not determine what you can do next and in the future.”

Ken Robinson

Annshar Wolfs

Specialist: Chinese & Grade 5/6

What inspired you to join the Dharma School? 

Previously I had worked at The Dharma School in Brighton and my work here in Daylesford is a continuation of the journey I began at that school.  The reason I continue at the Daylesford Dharma School is that it aligns with the way I try to live my life in the world.  Encouraging each and every one of us, student, staff, parent, community member to learn to be kind.  This takes practice, vulnerability, honesty, observation and reflection.  I’m inspired to stay at the Dharma School because the work with students is incredibly meaningful, I’m constantly challenged to grow and learn, it’s a lived practice.  I’m brought alive by working with other like-minded professionals whose shared motto is “live to be kind, learn to be wise”. 

Where did you complete your formal education?

The University of Melbourne, Bachelor of Education (Primary)

What did you enjoy most about your own experiences as a student? 

I’m still a student!  Mostly I didn’t enjoy it!  Being a student is tough.  Real learning is hard and emotional and messy.  I don’t enjoy the struggle of not knowing or understanding and all the uncomfortableness that it brings.   When I was younger, much of my academic success came easily to me, so when things got tough and I had to apply myself, I floundered.  As I get older, I am a lot more patient with myself and can witness my emotions without getting dragged into the drama.  I now understand that learning takes time, effort and practice.  My most enjoyable experiences as a student are when I can see my growth and success after huge effort, struggle and doubt.  It’s elating!  I enjoy working with others.

How long have you worked in education and what have your roles been?

I have worked in education for 23 years in both state and independent schools in Australia, China and the UK (including The Dharma School in Brighton). My roles have been Classroom Teacher from Kindergarten to Grade 6, teaching English as a Second Language (ESL), Languages Other Than English (LOTE) Chinese (Mandarin), PE and Acting Principal at an international school in Shanghai.

What are your interests when you are not changing the world through education?

Spending time living with, loving and growing with my family.
Practicing, studying and teaching yoga.