Leadership

Senior School Curriculum

Joanna Leamann

Acting Deputy Principal (Head of Senior School)

M.Ed (Admin), B.SC, DipTchg

Joanna rejoined CGGS in 2021 after having worked at the school from 2012 to 2018, most recently as the Head of Mathematics. She was the Academic Director in another Canberra school for three years before returning to girls education. Prior to this, Joanna worked as a Senior Advisor for the Royal Society of New Zealand (RSNZ), leaving that role when her family moved to Canberra in 2012. Joanna was a Deputy Principal in two Wellington (NZ) schools, prior to her role with RSNZ. As a Mathematics and Science teacher, Joanna is passionate about promoting Science, Mathematics and Technology as important subjects to consider when in Years 11 and 12.

Tara Dunstall

Deputy Head of Senior School and Director (Studies)

BA, LLB (Hons), GradDipLegPrac, GradDipEd

Tara joined CGGS in 2008 to teach legal studies after a career as a Senior Solicitor with the Australian Government Solicitor. In her time at CGGS, Tara has also taught business, commerce and geography. After a brief stint teaching business law at the Canberra Institute of Technology and communications at the Australian Defence Force Academy, Tara returned to CGGS and was appointed the Head of the Geography and Social Sciences Faculty in 2012. Tara acted as Director of Curriculum from April 2015 until she was appointed Director of Studies in October 2015.

Nancy Lee

Director (Academic Administration)

BSc CS, MEd

Nancy joined CGGS in 2009 as a Mathematics teacher, and has held the position of Head of Mathematics for several years before joining the Senior Management Team. She had an early career as a computer programmer for a major pharmaceutical company and then transitioned to secondary mathematics teaching. Before her arrival at CGGS she spent 10 years teaching Mathematics at a public high school in the USA, taking on the role of IB coordinator and department head. Her academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Science with a Minor in Mathematics from Penn State University and a Masters of Education from University of Colorado at Boulder.

Caroline McCaffrie

Acting Director (Students)

LLM, BA/LLB (Hons), BTeach, GradDipLegalPractice

Caroline has been at CGGS since 2018. She has taught in the Humanities Faculty and held the position of Head of Glebe House prior to taking on the role of Acting Director (Students). She has taught in NSW, and her previous career in corporate law took her from Canberra to Sydney and London. Passionate about girls' education and the importance of wellbeing, Caroline is currently working towards a Master of Education.

Joel Copeland

Director (Co-curricular)

MEd (Educational Leadership), BEd (Secondary Music), Ad Dip (Leadership & Management)

Joel joined CGGS in 2016 as the Dean of Music and lead the establishment of the Music Academy. Prior to this, he was employed at Radford College where he was the Head of Music and Director of Choirs. Joel has experience teaching students from Pre-Kindergarten through to Year 12 as well as adult learners in a community setting and in 2021, was certified by the Teacher Quality Institute as a Lead Teacher. Joel is a regular presenter at conferences and workshops around the country and is an accredited Australian Kodály Certificate lecturer. Joel’s experience in leadership and governance extended to his role as a Director of the Radford College Board in 2016.