Mrs Rachel Cook joined Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School (BCGS) this year as a new Year 4 teacher. Her passion for her students shines through her classes, and Mrs Cook is excited to establish meaningful connections with our School Community.
I started my teaching career in the lower Blue Mountains of New South Wales before returning to settle with my family in my hometown of Busselton in 2007. I accepted a teaching position at a local Anglican school where I enjoyed 12 years as a classroom teacher, teaching across Years 3 to 6.
I was also fortunate enough to be involved in co-establishing and co-ordinating the Gifted and Talented program, a role which I found extremely rewarding and enriching.
After purchasing a new home and relocating to Bunbury in 2020, I realised it was time to embrace a professional challenge and look at relocating to another school environment a little closer to home.
Lo and behold luck was with me and a position became available in the Primary School at BCGS late in Term 4, which, much to my much delight, I was successful in obtaining.
I have always wanted to become a teacher and it was a calling I felt strongly for many years prior to formally qualifying. I was inspired by a teacher I had in Primary School who went out of her way to encourage and support me to believe in myself and chase my goals.
She told me that I was capable of achieving anything and that I should hold fast to my dream of becoming a teacher, despite the difficulties that I had been, or may be, faced with. I knew that one day I wanted to encourage a similar sense of self-belief and confidence in my own students and help nurture them on their journey towards achieving their dreams.
Many years later, I still hold that memory of a ‘young me’ and my inspirational teacher close to me and it is what inspires my own practise each and every day in the classroom.
BCGS is a school environment like no other and I feel very blessed to be part of the School community. Be it the way the School embraces Positive Education and supports a growth mindset in both staff and students, to the way excellence is imbedded into all elements of the school day, or perhaps it is the myriad of opportunities available to students or the beautiful campus environment, BCGS is a special place to teach and learn.
The staff are an inspiring and incredibly talented group of people who go above and beyond to support and encourage one another and achieve the best outcomes for their students. It has been lovely being welcomed with such warmth and friendliness into the BCGS School Community this term; BCGS is a special place to be a part of!
I am looking forward to establishing myself within the wider School Community and getting to know our families and staff. I am also very excited about sharing my love of Philosophy and Critical Thinking throughout the Primary School and challenging the students to think ‘outside the box’.
It is with much positivity and anticipation that I look forward to the future at BCGS and all the great experiences and opportunities that I know are awaiting me.
