Education Minister Grace Grace has today congratulated local schools recognised in Queensland’s 2022 Showcase Awards for Excellence in Schools, with Elliott Heads State School being named the North Coast regional winner in the QUT Showcase Award for Excellence in Teaching category.
Now in its 23rd year, Minister Grace said the Showcase Awards are widely regarded as the most prestigious educational awards in Queensland, showcasing excellence in education, innovation, and leadership.
“One of the privileges of my job as Education Minister is to meet the outstanding teachers and educators delivering innovative and world class opportunities for our young Queenslanders,” Ms Grace said.
“The Showcase Awards allow us to recognise and celebrate the great work that our schools are doing day-to-day to ensure that Queensland continues to innovate and develop new education practices.
“The quality of submissions for this year’s awards was once again exceptional and extremely competitive, making the task of selecting award winners all the more difficult for the regional judging teams.
“To be named as one of the 27 regional winners, or as one of the 24 to receive a commendation, is a significant accolade for these schools. It’s an important recognition of their contribution to the state’s education system.
“I congratulate each and every one of them, and wish them all the best in the next rounds which will determine our state finalists, and ultimately our state winners.”
Elliott Heads State School Principal Nichola Lister said her award-winning teacher Kelly Brown proves how one teacher can make an incredible difference to the lives of many children and families.
“Kelly’s ability to completely turn around the learning scenario for all students, but especially those facing challenges such as trauma, disability, cultural or behavioural issues, is exceptional,” Mrs Lister said.
“Her empathetic approach makes every child and parent feel special and cared for in a professional way.
“While her many skills would be suited to leadership; she’s a classic example of our talented teachers who choose to dedicate themselves to the coalface of education.
“Congratulations Kelly!”
Burnett Heads, Bundaberg South, Gooburrum, and Thabeban state schools also received a commendation in the Network 10 Showcase Award for Excellence in the Early and Primary Years category for their collaborative project.
Member for Bundaberg Tom Smith said it was brilliant to see local schools working together.
“The project run by Burnett Heads, Bundaberg South, Gooburrum and Thaebeban state schools is called Empowerment Through Collaboration: Working Together, Learning Together, Improving Together,” Mr Smith said.
“As a former teacher I know just how important learning from each other and sharing experiences with other schools is, and I want to congratulate those schools for doing just that.”
This year there were 86 submissions for the Showcase Awards state-wide, representing 120 schools. Regional award winners and commendation recipients will share in $66,000 worth of development grants to further support their initiatives.
The 27 regional award winners will be whittled down to a smaller number of state finalists next month, before the overall winners across the 10 categories are announced at a conference in Brisbane in October 2022. Winners will receive up to $10,000.
