Jenay Menzie has a Bachelor of Arts from Avondale College.
Originally a Hobart girl, Jenay moved back to Tassie after 6 years on the mainland. After she completed her VCE at Gilson College in Victoria, she moved to NSW to attend Avondale University College. She completed a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction, majoring in Visual Arts and Minoring in both Graphic Design and Counselling. She then returned to Gilson College and worked as the head Librarian for a year there. Jenay now cal and has been working at NWCS in Reception and as a relief Teachers’ Aide.
Who inspires you and why?
As cliché as it might sound, all my colleagues that I have worked alongside during my time at NWCS have been among the greatest influences in my life. The love that they put into each aspect of everything they do is truly incredible. There is not one staff member at NWCS that does not genuinely love and care for each child that attends school – and it shows. They inspire me to always give 110% in everything that I do and their support each day at work is amazing.
Another huge inspiration in my life is my mother, Lee Menzie, who teaches at our sister school in Hobart, Hilliard Christian School. Growing up watching her plan lessons, mark assignments and go above and beyond for her students gave me an early appreciation for how much work teachers put into ensuring students thrive. She is an incredible teacher and mother, and her strength and perseverance has always encouraged me to do the best I can, in my personal life and my life at NWCS.
What is the most rewarding thing about your role?
There are so many rewarding things about working at NWCS which makes it hard to pick “the most rewarding”. I absolutely love the team at NWCS, they honestly feel like family and so every day with them in itself is rewarding.
When I am in the classroom working as a Teacher’s Aide, it is incredibly rewarding to see the improvement in the students. I love seeing their faces light up with the biggest smiles when they realise that they have gotten the correct answer on their maths, seeing them so enthusiastic about reading or singing at the top of their lungs during chapels/worships.
When I am working in the office as part of the Admin team, the most rewarding thing would be interacting with so many different people in so many different ways. Whether it is a student or staff member approaching the desk, a parent walking through the door, or answering the phones – I love being able to help people out and chat with them in the office. My personal goal is to make sure each person I interact with leaves the office with a smile.
I guess I could have just answered this question by saying that the “most rewarding thing” is seeing everyone’s smiles. Good one, Jenay.
What are you looking forward to?
NWCS has come so far already, and I am so looking forward to seeing our school continue to bloom. I am so proud to work at NWCS and I look forward to having more fun working at NWCS in the future.
When you’re not working, what do you do in your downtime? Do you have interests or hobbies?
I cannot sit still for long. I love being outside and in nature. So, literally anything outside makes me happy. I really enjoy bushwalking, exploring, and running. Usually, I’ll be found down at the beach or somewhere where I can see the ocean. Although, as I am still re-adjusting to Tasmania’s beautiful freezing weather, I’ll need to find some indoor hobbies to get me through the winter. Suggestions welcome.
What book are you reading, or what would we find on your podcast list? What do you love to learn about?
I love learning full stop. As an art graduate, I love learning about anything arty and honing in on my creativity and learning new skills. I love exploring bookshops and often find myself in the book section in op-shops (I am a professional op-shopper) and so this has resulted in me picking up a lot of books that I will “read one day soon”. As a former librarian, I really should pick up a book again sometime soon though. When I do, it will most likely be a mystery/suspense novel. That is also what you will find on my podcast list: true crime. I drive back and forth between Hobart a lot and if I am not singing (really badly), I’ll be listening to true crime podcasts.