Kerryn de Jonge
Taroom State School
Queensland
Student welfare
Kerryn de Jonge is a highly regarded member of staff whose commitment and dedication to the overall welfare of all students at Taroom State School is exceptional. Her enthusiasm, knowledge and skills have enabled her to manage many of the school projects and challenge students to achieve their best.
As student welfare and transition officer/aide, Kerryn is passionate about her work with students, using her initiative and imagination to increase the range of social learning opportunities for students. She has led a range of significant student welfare projects at the school, coordinating the breakfast, homework and peer support clubs, mentoring students in years 11 and 12, providing career counselling, establishing partnerships with employers and working with students with disabilities.
Kerryn is always available to work with and support students. Her empathy and enthusiasm towards students is well recognised and greatly appreciated by parents and the community.
Maurice Dean
Marsden State School
Queensland
Transforming the school environment
Maurie Dean has made a remarkable contribution to the positive school culture and environment at Marsden State School, transforming the appearance of the grounds through his landscaping talents, horticultural knowledge and passion for flora and fauna.
Maurie’s achievements over the last 10 years, as the school officer grounds, are evident in the lush, sub-tropical, aesthetically pleasing paradise the school community enjoys. Going beyond his general duties on a daily basis, Maurie shows great initiative and knowledge in building, landscaping, maintenance and repair projects. He ensures the grounds are maintained to a high standard of tidiness, safety and hygiene and encourages the whole school community to take great pride in the school environment.
Mary Hyland
Sacred Heart College Senior
South Australia
Serving the whole school community
Mary Hyland is an inspiration to the whole college community at Sacred Heart College Senior. Her commitment to the school and her respect, loyalty and true appreciation of others have an uplifting impact on the life of the college.
Mary’s primary role is the audio-visual technician in the resource centre. She has also committed herself to many facets of college life, meeting the needs of staff and students across a wide range of school activities.
Mary shows genuine support and interest in the education and life experiences of the students. She dedicates many hours of her own time assisting with college activities including public relations and drama productions and as a member of the wellbeing committee. Her skills, extensive knowledge and initiative are invaluable to the college community.
Ruth Kempton
Duncraig Senior High School
Western Australia
Technical support in science education
Ruth Kempton’s exemplary work as a science laboratory technician has had an enormous impact in schools across the state.
As the regional science technician at Duncraig Senior High School, Ruth leads a team that supports the school’s focus on gifted and talented science students and assists students with learning difficulties. She uses her skills to introduce appropriate experiments and investigations for different student needs and provides procedural advice to teaching staff on the practical components of science education.
At a state level Ruth provides training for newly employed technicians. She revised the science laboratory manual for the state education department and advises on the safety features in science laboratories state wide.
Cherie McPherson
Irene McCormack Catholic College
Western Australia
Food management
Cherie McPherson has made an outstanding contribution to the food technology department at Irene McCormack Catholic College. Her skills, knowledge and initiative have changed the way the food department runs.
Cherie is home economics assistant at the college and is an integral part of the college community. She is dedicated, flexible, willing to take on any task and generous with her time, often being the first point of contact for parents, teachers, administrative staff and students.
In addition to managing the college’s food department, Cherie is always willing to assist with administrative duties. She is very involved in the college parent council and coordinates a voluntary support program for families in crisis.
Jenny Matchett
North Geelong Secondary College
Victoria
Innovative café and catering service
Jenny Matchett is an outstanding achiever, developing and managing an innovative café and catering service that provides work experience and training for students from years 7 to 12 at North Geelong Secondary College.
Jenny’s energy, vision and interpersonal and support skills, in conjunction with her commitment to the Caterer’s Tray and other school programs, are an important element of the college’s strategies to maximise student learning and achievement.
The Caterer’s Tray offers all students, particularly those with special learning needs, the opportunity to learn skills in food preparation and presentation, teamwork and customer service. Jenny’s program has seen many disengaged students retained in the college system as continuous learners and well adjusted students.
Marion Williamson
Mount Gambier High School
South Australia
Science laboratory safety
Marion Williamson has made valuable contributions to the safety and welfare of students through her work as laboratory manager at Mount Gambier High School.
Marion seeks ways to continually improve and develop the school’s laboratories and staff training in the handling of chemicals. Marion initiated and developed resource booklets featuring information on risk assessment, material safety, data sheets and first aid for reference in all practical science classes.
Marion demonstrates high professional standards through her work, acts as a consultant in the establishment of other school laboratories and represents school support officers on various committees.
Jennifer Wise
Presbyterian Ladies’ College
Western Australia
Support to Indigenous students
Jennie Wise has displayed an outstanding commitment to achieving improved educational outcomes for Aboriginal girls and to improving their life choices and futures.
Through her work as the senior college counsellor at Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Jennie has set up systems that provide students with individual education plans, procedures to monitor their educational progress and placement in the most academically and culturally appropriate work based learning positions. In 2005 the college’s first Indigenous student gained mainstream entry into a Bachelor of Science at the Australian National University and in 2006 two students were among the first recipients of an Indigenous Youth Leadership Program scholarship.