We’ve found this helps people maintain a sensible perspective on the business of teaching and to not ‘sweat the small stuff’. One was in the New Zealand Navy, another has taught in the Tiwi Islands, another is a marathon swimmer. One sailed a yacht from Sydney to the Suez Canal and beyond. Their hobbies include taxidermy, making-musical-instruments, yoga, cycling, theatre, and renewable energy. The Principal spent time living in Finland studying a Master’s of Education. The Founder has written 40+ fiction and non-fiction books, including Letters from the Inside, and Tomorrow, When the War Began.
OUR STAFF
Our teachers are quite extraordinary, chosen for their unusual skills, interesting backgrounds, and life experience.
John Marsden
FOUNDER
John was born in Victoria, Australia in 1950. He attended The King’s School Parramatta, a strict military school in Sydney, and from there went on to the University of Sydney. However, he soon decided that a career in law looked too boring, so he dropped out and drifted around for nearly 10 years, trying different jobs, and earning just enough money to support himself.
When he was 28, he began a teaching course, which he loved from the start. Embarking on a teaching career, he also became more and more interested in writing, and in 1987 succeeded in getting his first book, “So Much to Tell You”, published. A string of huge hits followed, highlighted by the Tomorrow series and Ellie chronicles. John has now sold more than 2 1/2 million books in Australia alone, and over 5 million worldwide, with many major awards to his credit.
In 1998 he bought the Tye Estate, 850 acres of natural bush, on the northern edge of Melbourne, and later added the property next door. For eight years he ran enormously popular writers’ courses and camps at Tye, before starting his own school there, Candlebark, in 2006. Following ten successful years of running Candlebark, John founded Alice Miller School in 2016. John has published two books featuring the schools: Take Risks and The Art of Growing Up.
SARITA RYAN
PRINCIPAL
Sarita Ryan, MA(Ed), GradDipEd, BCreatArts, won a scholarship to become a full-time classical ballet student at the age of 16, but matriculated from school with entry to the Creative Arts/Law course at the University of Melbourne. However, after several years studying Creative Arts/Law, she decided on a different direction for her life, influenced by a stint of voluntary teaching in India. Her career in education saw her spend five years at Candlebark, interrupted by two years studying in Finland for her Master of Education and Developmental Studies. As part of her Master’s degree she spent time in Zambia and Ghana, working with the International Labour Organisation. During her course she won a number of awards, including the International Degree Students’ Scholarship, and the Rector’s Grant for international fieldwork. Sarita also won a scholarship from the Nordic Africa Institute in Sweden to undertake research at the Centre in 2012.
TARAN CARTER
MUSIC, MUSIC COORDINATOR
Taran joined the staff of Candlebark in 2007, and, as of 2024 is overseeing the Music program across both Alice Miller and Candlebark.
He teaches Classroom Music from Prep-VCE, directs The Ska Band and teaches saxophone and clarinet.
Taran‘s musical background (and passion) is in composition. He has had his music performed by groups such as the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Opera Australia and his compositions are featured on the AMEB and ABRSM (British) exam syllabi.
Career opportunities
Employment opportunities for both academic and general staff can be found via the link below. We welcome unsolicited applications at any point in the year. Please send expressions of interest to contact@alicemiller.school.
