Albany Senior High School School Board
In 2015, Albany Senior High School gained its Independent Public School status. This very important milestone allows for greater autonomy for the inaugural School Board, school administration and the Albany community. Together, we are guiding the future direction of Albany Senior High School. The newly acquired independent decision is allowing the Albany Senior High School to adapt to the unique demands of ASHS and the Albany Community.

2021 School Board Members

Melissa Walker
Principal
Joined School Board 2021

As the incoming Principal of Albany SHS in 2021, it is my honour to lead such a great school. In 2003 I was a HOLA at ASHS. The school and community has stuck in my heart and mind, and I feel much honour and privilege to be able to return and make Albany my place to settle.

I have a long history in public education and am highly passionate about what we do for our students each day. My passion is education; innovative and effective teaching. I get a real sense of pride and joy from seeing students achieve their learning goals. My experience as a leader throughout the past 17 years when I was last at ASHS has included working in Regional Office, Deputy and Principal at Kununurra College and Halls Creek DHS, Newton Moore SHS, Wongan Hills DHS, and Narrogin SHS as well as the Western Australian College of Agriculture - Narrogin.

From my experience, I have learnt that building strong working relationships and partnerships with parents and the community is essential in supporting children to achieve personal excellence. The School Board plays a vital role in ensuring that we are keeping true to our journey to achieve success by meeting the needs of all students to improve their outcomes. I appreciate all the work done by the volunteers on our School Board in supporting our school to be its best.

Mark Weller
Community Representative - Chairperson 2021
Joined School Board - 2019

I am proud to live and work in the Albany community, having been here since 2002. In previous work roles, I was involved in upgrades to local sporting and recreational infrastructure including the Albany Leisure and Aquatic Centre redevelopment, Hockey Turf, Sandford Road Skatepark and Albany Downhill Mountain Bike track. I’ve also served on many local community committees.

I now run a consulting business with a team of six personnel, delivering infrastructure and other project development and management services throughout the Great Southern region, Western Australia and Australia.

ASHS is a terrific school with a proud history. Our daughter attends the school and our son will go to ASHS once finishing primary school.

As current ASHS facilities age, there are plans for the renewal of existing infrastructure and the development of new facilities. I am looking forward to assisting the board and school to gain funding for key projects; as well as contributing in other areas.

I believe in the value of education and am committed to continuous learning. Current qualifications include a Master of Business Administration; Bachelor of Social Sciences (Leisure Sciences and Eco-Tourism); Agile DSDM Project Management; and Cert IV in Training and Assessment.

Natalie Jarvis
Parent Representative
Joined School Board - 2020

I was born in Perth but grew up on the Northern NSW coast and moved back to Perth for University in 2002.  I moved to Albany 6 years ago to study and have been actively involved in the Albany community since moving here.  I have  Bachelor of Communications (Film), Graduate Diploma of Education (Primary), Certificate IV in Breastfeeding Counselling, currently studying my Certificate IV in Mental Health.  I sit on the Diversity and Inclusion Working Group for my workplace as well as an Albany Pride committee member and facilitate Spectrum Under 25 LGBTIQA+ group. 

 I am an Albany representative in the state roller derby committee Derby West.  I have been involved in the Albany Family and Domestic Violence Action Group, No Lights No Lyrca and through my work the Mental Health Week - Mad Hatters Tea Party event for the past 6 years.  I have been involved with Albany Roller Derby since its inception in 2014 and have captained the team to Bronze in the State Tournament in 2019.  Making Albany the highest ranked regional team in Western Australia.  I have also been involved with the creation of the only purpose-built roller derby venue in Australia, The Track,  that is managed 100% by volunteers from the league as well as running low-cost roller sports programs for children and teenagers 7 - 17 as well as coaching adults in roller derby and roller sports programs for the past 5 years.

Claire Boujos
Community Representative
Joined School Board - 2020

For the past ten years, my work as a Designer and Architect has been focused on the areas of education, community consultation and heritage, with the aim to improve the community and educational facilities. I believe that listening to community and client needs forms the basis of a great and successful outcome.

I have had the opportunity to work with local communities throughout WA, providing support in regards to the conservation of culturally significant places in both the natural and built environment. I am passionate about assisting communities in achieving project outcomes that improve their circumstances and lives and find it particularly rewarding to assist our Great Southern schools improve their learning facilities.

Supporting and participating in community activities is specifically important to me, and I currently volunteer at the Rainbow Coast Toy Library.

Albany Senior High School is such a prestigious Albany institution and landmark, and it is an honour to be on the Board, and assist with directing the school’s facilities to a bright future.

Andy Wright
Parent Representative
Joined School Board - 2021

I grew up on the banks of the Yarra, swinging from ropes on hot summer days and making rafts from flood detritus, digging golf balls from the mud, eating soil-flavoured line-caught fish, paddling a home-spun corrugated iron canoe past huge ocean-going ships piled high with container cargo, in the days when you could wander through ports unimpeded. It was country life in Melbourne’s midst. That was when I wasn’t at school, enjoying education and mates and the good and bad teachers in equal measures.

Then I left the city, had a career in forestry, built a company with a team of great people, helped out in the community (run the hockey association, funded new infrastructure, drove an ambulance) and am raising a family.

My special lady and I came to Albany for two years and have stayed 24 (and counting); as a town, it really is the Little Bear’s porridge. Our children all go to (or, in the case of the eldest, went to) ASHS, bookending the extreme range of school issues (Year 12 young adulthood, junior school puerile pubescence) and all the brickbats and bouquets that go with them. Our parental interest is watchful, interested, not wanting to intrude but wanting the best for all the kids at the school – not just our own – because we’re tub-thumping champions for public school education.

I’m here because I reckon my background will be useful to assist the school board in building better public education facilities and programs to push more well-rounded citizens out the back of the sausage machine.

Nina Goodwin
Staff Representative
Joined School Board - 2022

I joined Albany Senior High School in 2021 as a teacher in Humanities and Social Science and in 2022 became the school's Career Practitioner. Prior to this I taught at a Perth Metropolitan school and at Narrogin Senior High School. Before moving into the education sector, I worked as a solicitor in Perth in community legal, dealing with a diverse range of socio-economic challenges. This experience has been a driving force in forming my teaching philosophy which is to support young people to become empowered, active, and informed citizens, who contribute positively to their community.

As Career Practitioner I have the unique opportunity in fostering positive change in the lives of young people in our community. I am passionate about supporting teachers to provide career education in the classroom. It is essential as educators that we make evident the link between classroom learning and its relevance to the real world. We need to provide students with reliable, up to date and unbiased information to allow them build agency when it comes to planning their transition from school to work.

A key driver of my work will be to foster ongoing relationships with industry and our school. Giving students the opportunity to connect with employers and the world of work. Working with our school community and key stakeholders I believe we can ensure that every student is on a pathway to success.

I look forward to working collaboratively with our school board to drive career education at ASHS.

Dianne Heinrich
Staff Representative
Joined School Board - 2020

I am the senior school program coordinator of student services, a role which I have been in since joining the staff at Albany Senior High School in 2017.

Prior to working at ASHS, I was the Head of Learning Area of Technologies and the Arts at Merredin College where I had been teaching for the majority of my career.

I was born in the country and have always lived in the country, so have a realistic understanding of country towns and education for country students along with the limitations and advantages of the country way of life. I have 3 adult children who went through the public education system at Merredin College followed by university educations with the two eldest moving into successful careers and the youngest still studying at ECU.

As Program Coordinator of Student Services, I work with students and families experiencing a variety of issues on a daily basis. I see the struggles that many families face relating to social and emotional wellbeing along with the requirements of the academic studies. I have developed links with many of the support services in Albany to assist and support students with the majority of the concerns they may have.

As a member of the ASHS School Board, I bring an understanding of the complexity of families and the struggles they face, along with a knowledge of requirements to assist students in achieving their future goals.

I look forward to working with all members of the school community in my role as a member of the ASHS School Board.

Neville Talbot
Staff Representative
Joined School Board - 2021

I am pleased to be a new member of the board in 2021. I moved to Albany from Perth in 2015 to take up a position as a music teacher here. This was mostly to spend more time with my growing family, away from the chaos of the city, and of the life of a touring musician.

This followed a 20-year career as a performing artist and teacher in multiple settings.

As a teacher, I have taught every year level from K-12 in the Government, Independent, and Catholic sectors, in big cities and remote communities, and have both lectured and been Artist in Residence at WAAPA. In 2017 I won the Curtin University Teaching Excellence Award in the WA Regional & Community Awards.

I managed and played in one of Australia’s peak percussion groups, Tetrafide Percussion. We toured extensively throughout Australia and the world, performing in a variety of venues and festivals including two World Expos, and were the only group to ever have been approached by Cirque du Soleil to explore creating a new show. Tetrafide were also one of Australia’s peak music education organisations, having designed and played concerts to hundreds of schools, and created extensive programs and professional development for teachers and students in primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions.

I have the distinction of being the only artist to have worked as a performer with three of WA’s flagship performing arts companies (WASO, WA Opera, and WA Ballet). Later in my career, I have focused on conducting ensembles, including work for the WA Opera, Opera Australia, and three years as the first Artistic Director for the Albany Sinfonia. In 2020 I successfully applied for a Conducting Mentorship to help develop my professional skills in working with opera. I am particularly passionate about community music-making and am heavily involved in many local groups and organisations in this sphere.