Governance
The daily running of the school is in the hands of the School Principal and the Executive. The Principal is the School’s Chief Executive Officer and reports to the Board. Our current Principal is Cindy Barnsley.
The Executive consists of Principal Cindy Barnsley, Deputy Principal Matthew Whaley and Business Manager Melanie Williams.
The Directors of the School Board are elected every two years and are currently composed of elected members, being five parents and three educators. This arrangement allows for the consensual and efficient operation of the School, both administratively and educationally, and also encourages a constructive partnership between parents/carers and teachers. We strive for consensus in all decisions.
Parents and teachers are encouraged to take an active interest in school governance through voting or nominating for election to the School Board. There is an Annual General Meeting in May each year.
Korowal School Board of Directors
Chris Lee
Chair
B.A (BA (Hons) UNSW, M Env Mgt (Macq)
Chris has degrees in Economics and Environmental Management. With a career spanning 30 years, Chris brings extensive experience from work in the public sector, university research and the private sector. Chris is the CEO of Climate-KIC Australia, a non-government organisation linking business, research and government to drive climate change and innovation.
David Wright
Deputy Chair
BA, DipEd, MA, PhD
David Wright is currently an academic staff member of the School of Education at Western Sydney University. He has worked in the Social Ecology program for over 20 years and teaches units in Social Ecology and Transformative Learning. He is an experienced supervisor of research student and has occupied a variety of administrative roles including Associate Head of School and Director of Higher Degree Research.
David's research has extended into community-based alternative education systems and he has visited leading schools of this kind in Australia and North America and worked with those who have designed and inspired these schools. David completed a PhD titled ‘Creativity and Embodied Learning’ in 1998. He has two children at Korowal: one in primary and one in secondary school.
Greg Lucas
Director
B.Comm., MBA (Dist.), CFP.
Greg Lucas is a Certified Financial Planner and a Lecturer in Financial Planning at the University of South Australia. Prior to moving into academia, Greg was a practising financial advisor and principal of a financial planning practice for 22 years.
Greg has served as a Director of Korowal School since 2010, and has been the Chair of its Finance and Resources Committee since 2011. He is known for his dedication and commitment to education. He has developed a reputation for providing governance, leadership and innovative solutions along with his ability to communicate with clarity, calmness and objectivity.
Greg has two children who graduated from Korowal. When not working, Greg loves to work in his garden in Katoomba, enjoys time with his family and pretends to understand cattle-raising on his hobby farm.
Mat Spiteri
Director
BCom, CPA, CTA
Mat Spiteri has over 20 years experience as a tax accountant and runs an accounting practice based in the upper Blue Mountains, servicing small to medium-sized businesses all over the east coast of Australia. He is a CPA Australia qualified accountant and registered tax agent, a fellow of the National Tax & Accountants’ Association, a Chartered Tax Advisor and a fellow of the Tax Institute of Australia. Mat and his family relocated from Sydney to the Blue Mountains in 2007 and they have two children attending Korowal School.
Nathanael Hunter
Director
Nate has been a parent at Korowal for nine years, and a Teacher’s Aide for four. He brings a unique perspective on the power of Korowal’s gentle and caring approach. He is deeply passionate about keeping the School’s culture strong, and in maintaining the independent course that attracted his family to Korowal. Nate has completed two trades (Baker/Pastrycook, and Distribution Powerline Worker).
Nate is completing a double major in a Bachelor of Science (Neuroscience and Psychology), and has strong skills in abstract writing and comprehension that such study entails.
He has two children at Korowal, one in Year 6 and one in Year 8.
Michelle Montgomery
Director
Michelle Montgomery is an experienced teacher and school counsellor with a special interest in whole school wellbeing and inclusion systems and practices. She has post-graduate qualifications and registration in teaching and psychology and is a NSW Premier’s Teacher Scholar (Special Education, 2014). Her work developing and leading whole school models of wellbeing and trauma-responsive care have been published in peer reviewed journals and international texts, and she was an invited contributor to the 2020 UNESCO report on the role of Social Emotional Learning in schools.
She has taught in primary and secondary schools as well university post-graduate teaching programs and has held both academic and clinical leadership positions in government and non-government child-serving organisations. In her free time, Michelle enjoys live music, comedy and art-making, as well as spending time with family or getting lost in a good book or puzzle.
Michelle has a child in Year 5 at Korowal.