School Board

The School Board plays an important role in contributing to good school governance so that school resources are used efficiently, and community expectations and the school’s priorities reflect the needs of students. The functions of councils and boards are covered by legislation and include both approval and advisory roles.

 The School Board is made up of the Principal, elected community members, teachers, parents and students. The Board meets in our Board Room twice each term, at 5.15pm on Monday, Week 3 and 7. Meetings times may change so please check our school calendar to keep abreast of any changes.

Parent Representative Election 2024

Lesmurdie Senior High School Board

Parent Representative Election

 Two vacancies for parent representatives on the LSHS Board have arisen. As per the Board’s Terms of Reference, we are conducting an election to fill these vacancies.  Every registered parent/carer with students currently enrolled in our school is eligible to vote in the election.   

 Information on the candidates is available below.  The election will be carried out via an online form.  You can access the form here. 

Parent Representative Information

Dave Hodges

Job:

Executive Director/ Engineering Manager (ret.)

Student – Masters of Teaching @ ECU (Secondary) (Full time).

Technical Assessor/ Engineering Consultant – NATA (National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia).

 

Skills and Experience:

I’ve been a professional control systems engineer for over 20 years, dedicating eight of those years to serving as Executive Director and Engineering Manager on the board of a large privately-owned Australian engineering company. My expertise spans setting and implementing strategic directions, serving as the company’s technical focal point, managing budgets and finances, securing high-value contracts, and overseeing project management. Over the past five years, I have also volunteered as a mentor for local school robotics and coding clubs, driven by a strong belief in giving back to the community. This conviction has inspired me to pivot my career towards education. I’m currently pursuing a full-time Master’s in Teaching (Secondary) at ECU, with the goal of motivating young people to explore careers in engineering, robotics, computer science, and other related technology fields. In addition to my studies, I continue to contribute as a consultant for NATA, acting as a technical assessor and subject matter expert in mechanical testing of pressure control systems, primarily within the Oil and Gas industry. This ongoing engagement ensures my expertise remains current and relevant.

Reason for nominating:

I am driven by a genuine passion for STEM education and an eagerness to inspire young minds towards careers they might not otherwise consider. My goal in seeking a position on the school board is to support the expansion of LSHS’s STEM programs. Leveraging my background in business management, technical expertise, and my ongoing pursuit of a Teaching degree, I am well-equipped to contribute meaningfully to the school’s future initiatives and help shape an enriching educational environment.

Benita Koop

Job:
Quality Engineering Consultant – User Acceptance Tester

Skills and Experience:

I am a parent with 3 amazing children, one who is currently studying at Lesmurdie Senior High School, and one daughter who attended Lesmurdie High School and is in her Second Year of University Studying Chiropractic Science. Which has given me a strong passion to be a part of the LSHS Board. Previously I was on the East Kenwick School board for two years and I was also the East Kenwick Primary School Canteen Treasurer before taking the position on their school board.  Presently I am on Orange Grove Primary School’s board which is a fantastic school and I enjoy bringing my ideas to help with all children.  I have skills in the Finance Services Industry and currently work on Government Legislation and Cyber security projects.

Reasons for nominating:

I wish to be nominated to join the School Board as I am passionate about bringing new ideas to Lesmurdie High School and working with the Board to ensure our children get the most out of their education. I have experience working on School Boards and I enjoy contributing my time to making a difference within our School Community and bringing ideas to the Board environment to help enrich our students. I am very approachable to listen to any parents ideas and will be more than happy to raise any issue to help make any changes we can.

Karen McCann

Job:

Administration/Customer Service for 3P Photography.

Skills and Experience:

I grew up in England, attending government schools before completing a BSc (Hons) in Environmental Sciences. I then worked in the corporate world before travelling independently, which lead to tour guiding through Africa and eventually landed me in Perth.

These diverse experiences have given me a broad base to tackle just about anything!

  • Telecoms Team Leader, managing a 24hr shift work team of network engineers, supporting UK government voice and data networks
  • Overlanding Tour Leader, managing all local aspects of African experience tours
  • Administration/Customer Service and everything in between, in a small family led company
  • Local Sport Clubs, committee and team management roles

I’d like to think I’m very approachable, should any parents wish to reach out and I’ll always offer an honest opinion, even if it’s not necessarily the popular one!

Reason for nominating:

I have been a local hills resident for 13 years now and have jumped into team manager and active committee roles for my boys’ sporting clubs, along with a very active role on the P&C during my children’s primary years and would like to continue my involvement during their high school years, evolving from the P&C through to becoming a passionate parent voice with the School Board.

My children see me volunteering my time with the local community both in and out of school, which I hope helps them appreciate the importance of giving back.

Scott Mosey

Job:

Senior Agile Coach at Commonwealth Bank. My job is to coach teams and leaders around working better together, around continually improving, around empowering people and around customer obsession.

Skills and Experience

  •      Currently the Board Chair at Roleystone Community College where I have been in the role for over 5 years.
  •      Formerly the Vice Chair of the Roleystone Karragullen Bendigo Bank Board until commencing at CBA required me to step down.
  •      Formerly the P&C President at Roleystone Community College for 9 years until my last child left this year.
  •      WACSSO State Councillor. The Western Australian Council for State School Organisations (WACSSO) is the peak body for P&C’s

 

Reason for nominating

I want to be a role model for my children and show them just how important it is to contribute and give back to the community. I want to make a difference to the students, the teachers, the staff and the parents of Lesmurdie Senior High School. With extensive Board and Public School experience I believe I have the right skillset and mindset to actively contribute to the Board.

Chris Wessels

Job:

General Accounting Manager for a leading Engineering firm

Skills and Experience:

I have served on the Board of a company for many years as Company Secretary and therefore bring a wealth of experience to the position. I also manage people at work and understand the challenges and rewards of dealing with people in a professional capacity. Throughout my career, I have developed analytical thinking and problem‐solving skills,

which I will bring to the table.

Reason for nominating:

I have been a Parent Representative on the Lesmurdie Senior High School Board for the past 3 years, where I promoted and advocated on behalf of the school for funding to improve amenities as well as other matters.

 

I believe schools form the heart of our modern communities and I would like to continue to contribute my time and hopefully this can have a positive impact on our school and the greater Lesmurdie community. I have three children at LSHS students in years 8, 9 and 11. I believe I have more to offer and help our school achieve even greater goals and are seeking a re-election for a further 2 years.

 The election will close at 9.00am on Wednesday 27 March 2024.  You are encouraged to vote.

Board 2024

Chairperson
Mathew Della Franca

Mathew is the current Chair of the Board and a member since 2021.  His focus is working with school leadership on strong governance of the school, focussing on the planning and funding for the new STEM facility, as well as improving the facilities of the school. Mathew has lived in Lesmurdie and Pickering Brook all his life and has a business background of 25 years in Sales and Project Management in the Oil & Gas and Mining industries.

Vice Chair
Chris Wessels

Chris has served as a Board member since 2021 working closely with the school leadership to ensure a positive impact on our students’ learning environment while maintaining good governance.  Chris has called Lesmurdie/Kalamunda home for the past 10 years and currently works as a Financial Accounting Manager for an Engineering firm.

Principal
Kerry Chipchase

As a long serving Public School Principal and teacher for over 40 years, Kerry has worked on many school Boards in different secondary and primary contexts.  She has been a member of the Lesmurdie Board for 5 years.  Kerry’s focus is to ensure that the Board has authentic and positive relationships with the school and community to improve policies and practices, provide approvals and advise on board matters.  This includes a focus on future building planning and works, exploring new community and industry partnerships, involvement in the new STEM build and participating in school events.

Manager Corporate Services (ex-officio)
Bronwyn Thornton

Bronwyn has worked for the Department of Education in a Manager, Corporate Services role for over 20 years and in Independent Public Schools since their inception. She has a background in banking and holds a Certificate IV in Business and a Graduate Certificate of Education Business Leadership. Her “Why” is to enhance possibilities to ensure our students have the best possible start to lifelong learning during and following school.

Staff Representatives

Emma Gallager

New to the role of Board member in 2023 and currently Senior School Manager, Emma has been involved with Lesmurdie Senior High School as a staff member, parent and citizen in the community since 2005. With a strong interest in building links between the school and the wider community, her position on the LSHS Board allows her  the opportunity to have a genuine impact in more areas of school operations and business.

Donna Gardiner

Donna has previously been on the school Board at both Mt Lawley SHS and Willetton SHS. An English teacher by training, she has worked in public education for over 30 years both in the Goldfields and metropolitan schools and has a strong interest in Gifted Education and working with students at educational risk to create success for all students! She is the Deputy Principal for School Improvement and Innovation. 

Hayley Trueman

Hayley qualified as a HaSS teacher in the UK prior to emigrating to Australia in 2006. Since Hayley joined Lesmurdie in 2020, she has taught a range of classes and abilities, ranging from ATAR modern history to the focus Year 7 HaSS/ English class. She is  passionate about students of all abilities reaching their full potential and using a wide and varied style of teaching methods to engage students in their learning. She was the Teaching and Learning Coordinator in 2022.

Parent Representatives

Brendon Boyes

Brendon has been  community representative on the Board for 18 months prior to joining as a parent representative.  He is passionate about promoting education and recreation opportunities and environments to assist all students towards a bright future.  He is a professional engineer in the oil and gas industry and bring to the board skills in data analytics, finances, document review and communication.

Anna Bunn

Anna has been a member of the Board since 2019. She has a daughter in Year 11 and her older two children also went through the school. Hailing originally from the UK, she has lived in WA for 15 years and, before that, spent 10 years living and working in Indonesia. Anna is currently working with the school on enhancing facilities. She works as a legal academic at Curtin University.

Renee De Prazer

Chris Tung

Chris has been a Community Representative on the LSHS board for several years and in 2023 moved to become a Parent Representative. Chris brings a wealth of life skills and IT expertise to LSHS,  supports strong governance of the school and is driven to make a better place for students, teachers and the school community.

Community Representatives 

Anmol Kumar

Anmol is one of the new additions to the School Board as a community representative. Having studied Biochemistry, he currently works as a chemical specialist within the oil and gas industry. Being a graduate of LSHS in 2018 and a local, Anmol is eager to voice the concerns of the surrounding Lesmurdie community and students alike.

Student Representatives

Year 12
Grace Innes, Grace Reid, Annabel Zwickl

Board Minutes

Terms of Reference

Code of Conduct

Acknowledgement of Country

I respectfully acknowledge the past and present traditional custodians of this land on which we are meeting, the Beelu people. It is a privilege to be standing on Beelu country. I also acknowledge the contributions of Aboriginal Australians and non-Aboriginal Australians to the education of all children and people in this country we all live in and share together – Australia.