Members of our school council
- Stewart Jones: Principal
- Carene Hogg: Chairperson/Parent representative
- Binny De Saram: P&C President delegate
- Martina Horn: Staff representative
- Shelley Pamment-Fanning: Staff representative
- Rebecca Kierle: Parent representative
Stewart Jones
Principal
Why I nominated to be on the council
As principal, I am automatically appointed to the council.
Why school councils are important
School councils allow representatives from across the school community to unite in the pursuit of positive student outcomes. I believe that Chapel Hill State School is a great school and its many unique features make it a very special site. The new school council is yet another example of how we are all working together to generate great outcomes for our students.
My connection to CHSS
I have been principal of the school for eight years.
My background
I have worked in the education sector for many years as a teacher and as a principal.
A little more about me
I feel very fortunate to have four children who take up much of time outside of work. I also take great delight in working on my old car and supporting local, state and national rugby.
Carene Hogg
Chairperson & Parent representative
Why I nominated to be on the council
I want to help improve communication between the school and the parent body and ensure that any parent concerns are fed back to the school leadership team on a timely basis. Now that I have been at CHSS for a few years, I've got a better idea of how things work and where I can hopefully make a difference.
Why school councils are important
As with any business, I believe governance is important in order to ensure high standards and with my background in finance, I am able to contribute to the council with both a commercial and parent perspective.
My connection to CHSS
I have two children at CHSS, Elliott is currently in Year 4 and Gabby is in Year 2. My husband and I moved to Chapel Hill in 2014 and plan to stay here a while! We are within walking distance of the school and live in a great street with other CHSS families. I have been very involved with the P&C and the School Council for the last few years now.
My background
I was born on the Gold Coast and went to school there, but then moved to Brisbane for university over 20 years ago! I graduated from UQ with a Commerce/Management degree and have worked in finance as a Chartered Accountant in a variety of industries, including private practice, mining, banking, Qld Rugby, not for profit and various small businesses. I did a stint in London for 5 years in my 20’s but moved back to Brisbane for the sunshine!
A little more about me
Becoming a mother was one of the most difficult things I have ever done, but I am really enjoying it now that the kids are older! I love working too and whilst time poor, I enjoy learning new things to keep my brain active. I love having a chat with both old and new friends over a glass of wine and I can’t wait to start travelling again when the pandemic is over and the kids get a little bit older. In my spare time, I love doing Xtend Barre, going to the beach and photography. When I joined CHSS in 2018, I was a class parent representative for my Prep class and and since 2019 I have been helping the P&C in a variety of supporting roles. I get a lot of personal satisfaction from helping people and I am enjoying meeting new people throughout the school.
Binny De Saram
P&C President delegate
Why I nominated to be on the council
I am the P&C President’s delegate on Council. I nominated for this role as I have a strong interest in good governance and strategic decision-making which puts the learning needs and well-being of CHSS students’ at the forefront. I hope to contribute my skills in a meaningful way and to make a small difference in the school community.
Why school councils are important
Good governance is at the heart of any organisation. School councils are essential to ensure that there is meaningful collaboration and cooperation between the school administration, teachers, parents and pupils of CHSS to ensure that the governance goals are achieved and that all parties have a voice concerning decisions that impact upon them.
My connection to CHSS
My daughters Ruby (year 4 in 2022) and Audrey (year 1 in 2022) are current CHSS students and I am a proud former CHSS student (class of 1994!). I have lived in Chapel Hill for most of my life and value and appreciate the CHSS community.
I have also held the positions of P&C Secretary and class representative which I have enjoyed immensely.
My background
I hold a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science from the University of Queensland and a Masters of Laws Honours (specialising in international law and human rights) from the University of Melbourne.
I am fortunate to work as a solicitor and manager at the Queensland Law Society. Our motto is good law, good lawyers, for the public good. In my role I do a lot of public interest lobbying and advocate to the Queensland and Federal governments for evidence-based, fair and practical policy and legislation in the areas of children’s law, criminal law, human rights law, public law and access to justice. I see the law as powerful tool for social and broad systemic change and a mechanism to help vulnerable people in our community. I do enjoy my job (a lot!) and hope I make a small difference to better the lives for people in our community.
Currently I sit on LawRight Management Committee, a community legal centre that improves the lives of vulnerable people by increasing access to justice through strategic partnerships with pro bono lawyers. I have also held volunteer positions with the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, Open Society Justice Initiative Cambodia, LawRight’s Homeless Persons Legal Clinic, the Red Cross International Humanitarian Law group.
A little more about me
I am an avid reader and enthusiastic baker (and eater!). The girls and I have a current baking challenge which is to make all the cakes on the Recipetineats website which, we are enjoying immensely. We also love travelling as a family and have enjoyed our overseas adventures enormously. My favourite trip was to Egypt and Jordan and we dream of going back one day… until then, we satisfy our interest by watching documentaries and visiting museums.
Martina Horn
Staff representative
Why I nominated for the council
As a global citizen and educator with more than 15 years teaching experience served across 6 countries, including 5 years at CHSS, I feel well equipped to support the council in ensuring the long term strategic direction of the school matches the needs and actions required of all stakeholders within the school environment.
Furthermore, having served on the CHSS Coalition Steering Committee in 2020, I was able to provide staff input and a voice in support of the development of the school’s strategic plan. As a dedicated and hardworking teacher who strives for excellence in the promotion of learning amongst children, my objective on the council is to provide a similar staff voice to operationalizing the strategic plan and ensuring the school meets its standards of excellence.
Why school councils are important:
Having a variety of voices from across the broad school community is important as it serves to enhance the effectiveness of a school council and is in turn beneficial to the school.
My connection to CHSS
I have worked as a Prep teacher at CHSS since 2017 and live within the Chapel Hill community. Over the last 5 years I have worked with many families in providing the foundational education to many of their children.
My background
Besides being a qualified teacher, I also have a Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology and worked in the counselling field before moving into education. My family and I have lived in several countries across the globe before settling in Australia. We have 3 adult children (ages 26, 23 and 18 years), and a cocker spaniel dog who is walked regularly around Chapel Hill.
A little more about me
I enjoy listening to music, walking my dog with my husband, taking beach holidays, and I train in an adult swim squad.
Shelley FanningStaff representative
Why I nominated for the council
I am interested in teaching and learning, the strategic direction of CHSS and representing the perspective and voice of our wonderful teaching staff.
Why school councils are important
Autonomy. Who better than CHSS staff and parents to know what we need and want, and how WE want to achieve it?
My connection to CHSS
I have been in the role of Head of Curriculum since 2015.
My background
Previously a resident of Chapel Hill, I have taught at CHSS since 2009 (Years, 2, 3, 4 and 5) and am currently the Head of Curriculum with a special focus on Years 3-6.
A little more about me
I enjoy eating out, reading, renovating, travel, family (not necessarily in that order).
Rebecca Kierle
Parent representative
Why I nominated for the council
I believe you only get out what you put into life and the communities you are in. By being a member of the School council, I hope to become further involved with the School community and assist in the communication between parents and the school. Being a newish member to the CHSS community, I also nominated to gain a better understanding of how and why the School operates as it does.
Why school councils are important
The School Council plays an important role in monitoring and informing the school’s strategic direction in a way that achieves the best learning outcomes for all students. Having a variety of ideas to discuss and knowing what is important to the parent, teaching and administration communities are important in forming and implementing the strategic direction.
My connection to CHSS
I have one child in grade 1 at CHSS this year, one due to start prep next year and one who will be in prep in 2026, so we will be around the school community for any years to come. We moved into Chapel Hill from Indooroopilly in 2014 and have enjoyed the fete each year since our first was born. I have enjoyed and value the CHSS community which we have experienced since embarking our families schooling journey.
My background
I was born in a small country town in NSW called Warialda. I completed my primary and secondary education at the local schools before moving to Brisbane to attend University. I completed an undergraduate in Human Movement Studies at UQ while living at a college - International House. Upon completing my degree, I began working as an ECG technician for a private cardiology company. I then began training as a cardiac sonographer and completed my graduate diploma in Cardiac Ultrasound at QUT. I now work part time as a Cardiac Sonographer for a large Cardiology group.
A little more about me
Since leaving my hometown where the community spirit was strong, I have strived to create that same community experience in the lives of my family. I have been Class Parent Rep for my son’s classes and been involved in several P&C events.
I enjoy exploring Mt Coo-tha as well as Brisbane and surrounds with my family, reading, and spending time with friends.