For this issue, we speak to Mrs M Karakosta, Year 2 Teacher and Junior School Librarian.

Can you tell us about your role at Blackheath High?

I am a Year 2 Teacher and the Junior School Librarian. Teaching our lovely Year 2 girls is certainly my most important role at the school, but I also manage the school library, making sure all the books and barcodes are in order, ordering new reading materials for the class libraries and making sure the girls have access to a wide variety of literature, from popular authors, to the classics, books on history, Science and Maths!

We have a growing section of books on mindset and well being, which is at the forefront of growth and development and which I feel we do very well at Blackheath High. I have recently set up a travelling book box, entitled 'The Mighty Girl', which travels around the school from Year group to Year group, filled with fantastic resources and stories on growth mindset, powerful thinking and inspirational women.

How long have you worked at Blackheath High?

I have been at Blackheath High since 2013. I went to school in South Africa and my high school was very similar to Blackheath High although I do not remember the teachers being as kind or as nice! I started my teaching career as an English specialist teacher, teaching in a school in Stellenbosch before setting my sights on the bright lights of London, being lured by the tales of life in such a beautiful and exciting city. I settled at a school in North London as Head of English and enjoyed working there for over 10 years before settling down with my new family in Greenwich. I applied for a position at Blackheath High and the rest as they say, is history!

What do you like most about your job?

The girls, of course! They are brilliant, smart, kind and sassy! My sister-in-law (then herself a new mum of a little girl), popped into school one day to watch an assembly and afterwards she said to me that the girls she met "were just everything you could hope your own daughter to grow up to be". I thought that summed it up perfectly!

What makes working here at Blackheath High so rewarding and enjoyable? Watching the girls grow in front of your very eyes! They blossom into confident young ladies and as their teacher, you always feel proud of their achievements and little victories, even long after they leave your classroom.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I love lazy days at home with my children, trips to the seaside and holidays to the Greek Islands, which I have been going to every summer since I was a little girl. I am now so grateful to be able to share this same experience with my own two children. 

What are you most proud of?

That's a hard one! I am proud of my children of course. My Greek heritage and South African upbringing is always close to my heart and on this journey (that's taken me from the sunny skies of Africa down its often long and winding life paths), I am proud to find myself here, working in a beautiful part of London, in a very special school.

What has been your biggest challenge?

I would think it's a challenge that most face, being the best mother I can be to my children every day and giving all of my best to the children I teach. It's keeping all those balls up in the air and finding my grit when they come tumbling down!