Springfield Central State High School Japanese Program
Our Staff
The Language department is passionate about teaching Japanese to our students in an engaging and meaningful way. We believe that learning a second language is a crucial aspect of the curriculum as it allows students to develop a deeper understanding of the world they live in and the differences that exist across cultures.
Miss Vanessa Ngarae
My name is Vanessa Ngarae and I have been teaching Japanese for the past 7 years. I started learning Japanese in primary school and after finding the culture fascinating, decided to continue in high school. After finishing grade 12, I went to live in Japan as a high school exchange student where I studied at a Japanese high school. I returned to Australia in 2003 and attended Griffith University where I began studies in a Bachelor of Arts in Languages and Linguistics and Bachelor of Education - Secondary, graduating in 2008.
I started working at Springfield Central State High School in 2012 and am excited about what the future holds for the languages department at the school.
Ms Shonna Napier
My name is Shonna Napier and I joined the team at Springfield Central State High in 2014. I have been interested in the Japanese language and its culture since participating as a Lions Club Exchange Student for two months upon graduating High School. I undertook my Bachelor of Arts in Modern Asian Studies at Griffith University before deciding my passion lay with teaching and in particular, secondary teaching.
I taught English in Japan for two years which allowed me to really immerse myself in the country and its culture. Upon my return, I have had the opportunity to teach in various high schools from Atherton in Northern Queensland to the Gold Coast. I have now clocked up 20 years of teaching for Education Queensland and am still enjoying my time in the classroom with the students.
Japanese at Springfield Central State High is strong and the whole team is working at making it stronger. We are all excited about the opportunities that exist for our students currently and the new ones coming in the future.
Ms Tracy Robertson
My name is Tracy Robertson and I am an experienced senior teacher of Japanese. I have been teaching with Education Queensland since 1997 and have had the privilege to work in some wonderful schools building, promoting and developing the Japanese Language Department. Prior to coming to Springfield Central State High School I have taught at Beaudesert SHS, Townsville SHS and Ipswich SHS. My passion is Japanese language and culture! I have lived in Japan for three years and am looking forward to inspiring a whole new generation of students in Japanese language learning.
I started teaching at Springfield Central State High School in 2016 and I am excited to be a part of this great team and the opportunities that exist in the school for building a successful language program.