Dana Hall

What is your role at the school and how long have you been a part of the team/OLW?

I am teaching Prep this year and 2025 is my first year working at OLW. I have been teaching out in Western Queensland for the past 6 years.

 What do you love most about your job? 

I love getting to know my students and their families. We become a little family together and it's so good to see each student grow throughout the year. The moments of joy when students achieve their goals or seeing their faces light up with curiosity when learning something new is definitely my favourite part.

 What do you enjoy the most about working at OLW? What makes our school community special to you? 

I am looking forward to becoming a part of the OLW community. I have already felt very welcome by all of the staff and I know that this is a close community of staff and families. I am excited to be able to be a part of that.

 Can you share a memorable moment/experience you have had while working at OLW? 

A memorable moment from my teaching career so far was the time in my first year when teaching out in the far west, I had a lamb wander into our classroom! It had gone for an adventure off a close by property and had enjoyed wandering through our oval. I'm not too sure that I'll experience lambs in classrooms at OLW but you never know!

 What are you passionate about? 

Fostering a love of reading. I love reading and I hope to share that joy with every student I come across so they can love reading as well.

 What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

I enjoy spending time with my friends and family. I love to walk and play with my greyhound and love to spend Sunday afternoons reading a good book.

Rachel Catalano

What is your role at the school and how long have you been a part of the team/OLW?

I am a Year One teacher, and this is my first year at OLW as a graduate.

What do you love most about your job? 

I love that I get the opportunity to inspire curiosity and creativity in my students. Every day brings something new and I get to help foster a love of learning. Seeing students grow and understand new concepts is incredibly rewarding.

What do you enjoy the most about working at OLW? What makes our school community special to you? 

OLW is a highly community-orientated school which creates a nurturing and supportive experience for both the staff and students, making it very special. I enjoy working with like-minded individuals and drawing knowledge from others.

 Can you share a memorable moment/experience you have had while working at OLW? 

A memorable experience is when a student who has been struggling finally has that "aha" moment. The excitement on their face when they realise they can do it is unforgettable.

 What are you passionate about? 

I am passionate about creating a supportive and inclusive environment where every student feels seen and valued. It is about cultivating a space where students feel comfortable and are not afraid to make mistakes but instead see them as opportunities for growth.

 What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

I enjoy spending time with friends and family, going to the beach and living an active and healthy lifestyle.

Charlot Kelly

What is your role at the school and how long have you been a part of the team/OLW?

I have been a classroom teacher for 6 years and have recently joined the team at Our Lady of the Way this year. I am looking forward to bringing my experience and passion for teaching to support your child's learning and development.

What do you love most about your job? 

My favourite part of teaching is building strong relationships with my students and watching them grow, learn, and develop into better learners throughout the year. It's incredibly rewarding to see their progress and be a part of their educational journey.

 What do you enjoy the most about working at OLW? What makes our school community special to you? 

Although I am new to the Our Lady of the Way community, I have spent my entire teaching career in Catholic primary schools. I deeply value the sense of community and the strong Catholic values that guide our schools, which is what drew me to teach here. I am excited to be part of this wonderful school and look forward to fostering a supportive and nurturing environment for your child.

 Can you share a memorable moment/experience you have had while working at OLW? 

A truly memorable moment for me at Our Lady of the Way was calling my grandmother to share the exciting news that I would be teaching at the same school where she served as Deputy Principal and also taught Year 2. It felt incredibly special to follow in her footsteps, and I'm proud to be part of such a wonderful school community.

 What are you passionate about? 

I am truly passionate about reading and love sharing this enthusiasm with my students. Outside the classroom, I host a book club with friends and participate in reading challenges. Last year, I proudly read 100 books! I believe in the power of reading to spark imagination and foster a lifelong love for learning.

 What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

Outside the classroom, when I'm not reading, I spend my time training with my dance team. We compete in various competitions against other teams, which allows me to stay active, creative, and connected to a wonderful group of people who share my passion for dance.

Shannon Whitehorn

What is your role at the school and how long have you been a part of the team/OLW?

I am the classroom teacher in Year 3/4. I've worked at OLW for 9 years.

What do you love most about your job? 

Celebrating the success of students - especially when they get to that "aha" moment and learning a new concept finally clicks.

What do you enjoy the most about working at OLW? What makes our school community special to you? 

I enjoy building relationships with and getting to know students, their families and work colleagues. We are a very special small school that strives to always have an inclusive and supportive community.

Can you share a memorable moment/experience you have had while working at OLW? 

A memorable moment for me was growing our class garden, especially the beautiful sunflowers when I was teaching in Year 1.

What are you passionate about? 

I am passionate about building strong literacy foundations and a love of reading. Supporting students to achieve to the best of their abilities.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

I enjoy spending time with my family (husband and kids), socialising with friends, being active- playing netball and exercising.

Darsha Gracey

What is your role at the school and how long have you been a part of the team/OLW?

I am the Year 5 teacher and have been at the school for 9 years.

 What do you love most about your job? 

I love building connections with my students that last long after they have left my class.

 What do you enjoy the most about working at OLW? What makes our school community special to you? 

OLW is a special community to me because you know that all our staff will support each other in and out of the classroom.

 Can you share a memorable moment/experience you have had while working at OLW? 

The puppets and body socks at professional development days - I have videos! Another special memory to me is a group of my students writing and performing me a song at the end of the year.

 What are you passionate about? 

I am passionate about having and fostering conversations and debates that arise as a natural connection to the learning. It promotes such rich learning!

 What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

I enjoy jigsaw puzzles, hanging out with my family and most importantly being cuddled up on the lounge with the love of my life, my 4-year-old groodle, Nessie!

Amanda Pringle

What is your role at the school and how long have you been a part of the team/OLW?

I am the Year 6 teacher and I have taught at OLW for 10 years.

 What do you love most about your job? 

I absolutely love the fact that I get to provide opportunities for students to learn in an engaging and creative way.

 What do you enjoy the most about working at OLW? What makes our school community special to you? 

I love the staff and my relationships with the students.

 Can you share a memorable moment/experience you have had while working at OLW? 

A memorable experience for me was working with the students and staff in the annual school play.

 What are you passionate about? 

I am passionate about renovating my house and restoring old furniture.

 What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

I love spending time with my family and travelling.

What is your role at the school and how long have you been a part of the team/OLW?

I am the Dance & Drama Teacher.

What do you love most about your job? 

I love that The Arts provides students with multiple opportunities to be creative and imaginative. Students work collaboratively with their peers on engaging tasks and grow in confidence as they perform and it encourages many play-based, fun learning opportunities.

What do you enjoy the most about working at OLW? What makes our school community special to you? 

I love that everyone feels welcomed in our school community. We have a warm and compassionate staff here at OLW and we provide varied learning experiences to cater for our learners.

Can you share a memorable moment/experience you have had while working at OLW? 

I absolutely loved the dance night last year! Watching all the students shine on the stage with smiles beaming on the faces with pure enjoyment and pride. It was so wonderful to have the OLW community come together to celebrate what we have been learning in class.

What are you passionate about? 

I am passionate about family, dance, health and wellness. I believe that it is so important to find the things that bring you joy and spend time with the people that matter most.

What do you enjoy doing outside of work? 

My favourite things to do include; spending quality time with my family going on adventures, reading books, going to the beach, doing pilates/dance classes and relaxing meditations.​