By Alesha Capone
MY WYNDHAM: Werribee’s Simon Fugazzotto has worked as a Physical Education teacher at Baden Powell College for 10 years. He chats with Alesha Capone.
What do you like most about your job?
I think what I enjoy is just getting young children engaged in physical activity and seeing them try new sports. The ultimate goal is to see them take up sport or an activity outside school, get involved and hopefully start doing that three nights a week. I work at both campuses of Baden Powell College, two days in Tarneit and three days at Derrimut Heath Primary School in Hoppers Crossing, which is also part of the college as well. I also teach Italian.
Do you do anything else at the college?
I’m also the Tarneit Primary District co-ordinator. There are eight primary schools in the area and I’m in charge of co-ordinating sports events they all participate in, such as athletics, cross country and swimming. It involves running meetings, organising facilities, organising umpires and that kind of thing. I also try and help out with sponsorships, such as with the breakfast club at Baden Powell College.
A few friends of mine who run local businesses, Harmony Residential and Pronto Earthworks, sponsor the club two days a week so kids can come to school and have breakfast. I’ve also donated some of my weekly wage towards the breakfast club for the kids.
How long have you lived in Werribee?
I’ve grown up in Werribee. I went to Corpus Christi Primary School and MacKillop College. My wife Stephanie and I went to the same high school and started dating at university. We now have a beautiful daughter, Sofia, who is almost six months old.
What do you like about Werribee?
I have enjoyed growing up with friends that I went to school with. We’ve been lifelong friends and it’s good that we grew up together and many of them still live here. Werribee has become bigger across the years.
Where do you like to go for a coffee?
I like going to The South Corner in Werribee. It used to be a named Gerald and Lou’s Milkbar, then went on to become The South Corner. I used to go to the milkbar when I was at school, and now I go there for coffee.
