2015 ASG National Excellence in Teaching Awards State and Territory Award Recipient

Nicole Crosthwaite St Anthony’s School Wanneroo, WA

Nicole Crosthwaite teaches Year one at St Anthony’s School in Wanneroo, Western Australia. An advocate of Vygotsky’s social learning theory, she works to create a cooperative environment that will enable her students to ‘scaffold their knowledge’ through peer learning. To that end she has organised her classroom around collaborative learning strategies such as Jigsaw, Two Circles and Number Heads. She also maintains high expectations and individual goal setting. Whole class goal setting is an integral part of Nicole’s lessons. The goals for each lesson are written up on the board so that students know what they are expected to achieve. Each week they put their names on a Writing Goals chart, next to something they want to focus on in their writing––such as capital letters, full stops, adjectives or adverbs. These goals are then referred to after every writing session. Nicole has also designed a support program that runs parallel to the daily class routine. Students in need of remediation are taken out for 10-minute blocks to focus on areas that that require extra work. For example, during one period 10 children might instead practice penmanship and number writing. Groups of students also take time out to practice phonics throughout the day. Nicole says she is privileged to be responsible for the education of future generations who will go on, in turn, to create, liberate, explore and empower those who follow in our ever-changing world.

Position

Other responsibilities

Teacher

Category

Subjects/level taught

Years teaching

Early Childhood

Year 1

22

Years at this school/centre

School type

Nominated by

Town/suburb

State and postcode

4

Catholic/systemic

Parent

Wanneroo

WA 6065

CONTACT DETAILS: Teacher: Nicole Crosthwaite Principal/Director: Mark Marando

Phone: 08 9303 7500 Email: [email protected]

NEiTA is administered by the Australian Scholarships Group Friendly Society Limited ABN 21 087 648 879 Registered Office 23-35 Hanover St Oakleigh Vic Australia 3166 For further information, please contact: Nicole Gundi, Public Relations, Australian Scholarships Group Phone: 03 9276 7520 Mobile: 0448 167 578 Fax: 03 9276 7798 Email: [email protected] asg.com.au/neita

National Excellence in Teaching Awards

2015 ASG National Excellence in Teaching Awards State and Territory Award Recipient

Neil Gray Sacred Heart College Sorrento, WA

Describing himself as a ‘STEM crusader’ Neil Gray is a passionate Engineering Studies Specialist. He uses Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) education principles to teach problem solving to secondary students. STEM education is a world-wide movement that engages students with open-ended, technology-based projects in a collaborative learning environment. Twelve years ago Neil was offered a 12-month contract at Sacred heart College in Western Australia’s Sorrento. Today he is an integral part of the school’s success. It is now one of the top ATAR-performing schools in Engineering Studies with students from all years participating in a wide range of state and national robotics and technology competitions. Prior to teaching Neil was a professional engineer who worked in technical and managerial positions in a range of industries. He obtained a Graduate Diploma in Education and discovered almost immediately that teaching was the missing element in his career. These days he finds his engineering room is full and busy from early morning until after school, and his students often don’t want to ‘pack up and leave the class at the end of the lesson’. There are CNC machines, laser cutters, 3D printers and lots of robots of all shapes and sizes. The students work with Lego NXT and EV3 robotics, VEX robotics and specialist kits for FRC and FTC robots as well as Arduino, PICaxe and Raspberry Pi microcontrollers. Neil empowers his students to become ‘smart creatives’ who are confident users of technology, rather than consumers. They are encouraged to take risks which means that sometimes things may not work out, but there are no right and wrong solutions, he says, some ‘just work better than others’.

Position

Other responsibilities

Teacher

Category

Subjects/level taught

Years teaching

Secondary

Engineering

12

Years at this school/centre

School type

Nominated by

Town/suburb

State and postcode

12

Catholic/systemic

Parent

Sorrento

WA 6020

CONTACT DETAILS: Teacher: Neil Gray Principal/Director: Trevor Lynch

Phone: 08 9246 8200 Email: [email protected]

NEiTA is administered by the Australian Scholarships Group Friendly Society Limited ABN 21 087 648 879 Registered Office 23-35 Hanover St Oakleigh Vic Australia 3166 For further information, please contact: Nicole Gundi, Public Relations, Australian Scholarships Group Phone: 03 9276 7520 Mobile: 0448 167 578 Fax: 03 9276 7798 Email: [email protected] asg.com.au/neita

National Excellence in Teaching Awards

2015 ASG National Excellence in Teaching Awards State and Territory Award Recipient

Brooke Haendel All Saints’ College Bull Creek, Western Australia

A sentence provided by a student exemplifies the educational philosophy of Brooke Haendel: ‘You always believe in the potential of your students and you push them so they can reach their full potential, thank you for believing in me even when I didn’t’. A Health and Physical Education teacher at All Saints’ College (ASC) in Bull Creek, Western Australia, Brooke was inspired to devote her professional life to education by teachers who made others feel valued and important, and were intrinsically motivated, thoughtful and open about their constant learning. Brooke is a scholar and innovator––a rare combination. She designed and implemented the ASC Health Education program framed by educational philosophies such as Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Kohlberg’s Stages of Moral Development and Bandura’s Social Learning Theory. Her achievements saw her appointed postgraduate unit coordinator and Adjunct Lecturer at The University of Western Australia (2011). Brooke’s holistic approach is exemplified by the ASC ‘Binge Drinking Virtual Expo–Year 9: Drug Education Unit’ where students’ produce anti-substance abuse campaigns. They allocate themselves to various groups based on their interests and expertise such as advertising, publications, surveys and research. The Expo requires students to develop critical health literacy skills that cultivate resilience and harm reduction. Brooke has also played a key role in the design and implementation of the ASC Auto Shop where Year 10 students learn about the challenges of road safety and vehicle maintenance. As the Head of Forrest House, Brooke describes her educational mission as encouraging ‘the individual to value self-worth; to realise their unique qualities and in doing so to respect and admire others’.

Position

Other responsibilities

Category

Subjects/level taught

Years teaching

Teacher

Health coordinator, Head of House

Secondary

Health Education and Physical Education Studies

11

Years at this school/centre

School type

Nominated by

Town/suburb

State and postcode

9

Independent

Parent

Bull Creek

WA 6149

CONTACT DETAILS: Teacher: Brooke Haendel Principal/Director: Belinda Provis

Phone: 08 9313 9333 Email: [email protected]

NEiTA is administered by the Australian Scholarships Group Friendly Society Limited ABN 21 087 648 879 Registered Office 23-35 Hanover St Oakleigh Vic Australia 3166 For further information, please contact: Nicole Gundi, Public Relations, Australian Scholarships Group Phone: 03 9276 7520 Mobile: 0448 167 578 Fax: 03 9276 7798 Email: [email protected] asg.com.au/neita

National Excellence in Teaching Awards

2015 ASG National Excellence in Teaching Awards State and Territory Award Recipient

Joanne Leach Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School Dardanup, WA

Two hours south of Perth in a small rural community, Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School is the teaching home of Joanne Leach. She’s taught there for 20 years and is an integral part of the school community. As Year 6 teacher and Coordinator of Professional Learning, Joanne is recognised for her expertise in Mathematics. Two of her current students have been awarded academic scholarships and one has been selected to go to Japan as a City of Bunbury representative. Joanne is regularly commended for the academic standard of her Year 6 students when they enter secondary school. A large number of them end up in top classes, with a disproportionate number in advanced classes. This is especially true for Mathematics. Passionate about helping children reach their potential, Joanne endeavours to instil a love of learning in all her students because she believes they will keep striving to be the best they can be long after they leave her classroom. In fact, she has been teaching Mathematics throughout the whole school, helping children who struggle with it and teaching alongside her colleagues. She also tutors after school, helping both primary and secondary students with their Mathematics and says this enable her to hone her skills in remediation teaching so she can help children in the future. Described as a ‘fantastic teacher who enjoys a great rapport with students and their parents’, Joanne is an equally great advocate for Mathematics teaching.

Position

Other responsibilities

Category

Subjects/level taught

Years teaching

Teacher

Professional Learning Coordinator

Primary

Year 6

24

Years at this school/centre

School type

Nominated by

Town/suburb

State and postcode

20

Catholic/systemic

Parent

Dardanup

WA 6327

CONTACT DETAILS: Teacher: Heidi Ross Principal/Director: Luke Godwin

Phone: 08 9728 1054 Email: [email protected]

NEiTA is administered by the Australian Scholarships Group Friendly Society Limited ABN 21 087 648 879 Registered Office 23-35 Hanover St Oakleigh Vic Australia 3166 For further information, please contact: Nicole Gundi, Public Relations, Australian Scholarships Group Phone: 03 9276 7520 Mobile: 0448 167 578 Fax: 03 9276 7798 Email: [email protected] asg.com.au/neita

National Excellence in Teaching Awards

2015 ASG National Excellence in Teaching Awards State and Territory Award Recipient

Joyce Michael Lynwood Senior High School Parkwood, WA

Joyce Michael is the Learning Support Coordinator (LSC) at Lynwood Senior High School in Parkwood in Western Australia. With more than 1000 students and 130 teaching and non-teaching staff ‘Life at school is busy,’ Joyce admits. During any school day Joyce supports about 25 per cent of the student population. These include students with disabilities, learning difficulties and low literacy skills. Managing a team of 14 Education Assistants who work with at-risk students is a responsibility she embraces. Joyce has developed effective programs and plans that support the students at LSC, as well as up-skilling their teachers. Her work includes case-managing students on Learning Engagement Plans, Risk Management Plans, Attendance and Behaviour Plans. Joyce also coordinates a team of more than 20 volunteers who visit the school weekly to support, mentor and tutor at-risk students. In addition, she is the Reading Resource teacher and, in this capacity, works closely with the Literacy Coordinator to implement a whole school approach to literacy. ‘My door is always open for students and staff to come in for a chat and for support,’ she says, and clearly they do. After 15 years at LSC, Joyce’s role as a prime mover and advocate for children is well known. Her workdays routinely involve acts of compassion and generosity, and her desire to help children reach their potential is etched in the memories of the families she has helped.

Position

Other responsibilities

Category

Subjects/level taught

Years teaching

Teacher

Learning Support Coordinator

Secondary

Learning Support

18

Years at this school/centre

School type

Nominated by

Town/suburb

State and postcode

15

Government

Parent

Parkwood

WA 6147

CONTACT DETAILS: Teacher: Joyce Michael Principal/Director: Andrew Jack

Phone: 08 9354 0600 Email: [email protected]

NEiTA is administered by the Australian Scholarships Group Friendly Society Limited ABN 21 087 648 879 Registered Office 23-35 Hanover St Oakleigh Vic Australia 3166 For further information, please contact: Nicole Gundi, Public Relations, Australian Scholarships Group Phone: 03 9276 7520 Mobile: 0448 167 578 Fax: 03 9276 7798 Email: [email protected] asg.com.au/neita

National Excellence in Teaching Awards

2015 ASG National Excellence in Teaching Awards State and Territory Award Recipient

Rebecca Peckitt Rostrata Primary School Willetton, WA

Rebecca Peckitt is an early childhood teacher who aims to educate the ‘whole child’. At Rostrata Primary School in Willetton, WA, she works towards that goal by focusing on play-based learning. Each term Rebecca creates two interconnected play areas that relate to the topic she teaches. These play centres are designed to consolidate skills taught in the classroom. In the ‘Jungle Explorers’ area, for example, the children sort animals by characteristic or habitat and record their findings in a ‘Jungle Animal Spotting Book’. The children also engage in role-play experiences by dressing up as animals and acting out various scenes in the wild. Rebecca believes social and emotional skills are the backbone to learning in the early years and the key to future success. When children feel respected and confident in the classroom, she says, they are willing to take risks and strive towards their full potential. Rebecca has adopted the ‘Kimochis’ philosophy of helping children to manage, discuss and regulate their feelings through puppetry. The seven different ‘Kimochi’ characters represent specific personalities and each comes with three feelings pouches. Children learn why each character feels a particular way at a particular time and how to accept the feelings of others and their own. After completing the Kimochi program, Rebecca noticed a significant improvement in the overall development of students’ social and emotional skills. Rebecca’s personal philosophy is to ignite the passion in young students by creating confident lifelong learners who have a zest for learning and believe that they can reach ‘mountains’ if they just believe. As quoted by Dr. Suess, “Kid you’ll move mountains!”

Position

Other responsibilities

Category

Subjects/level taught

Years teaching

Teacher

Member of School Board, Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Coordinator

Early Childhood

Prep/Year 1

6

Years at this school/centre

School type

Nominated by

Town/suburb

State and postcode

6

Government

Parent

Willetton

WA 6154

CONTACT DETAILS: Teacher: Rebecca Peckitt Principal/Director: Barry France

Phone: 08 9457 9455 Email: [email protected]

NEiTA is administered by the Australian Scholarships Group Friendly Society Limited ABN 21 087 648 879 Registered Office 23-35 Hanover St Oakleigh Vic Australia 3166 For further information, please contact: Nicole Gundi, Public Relations, Australian Scholarships Group Phone: 03 9276 7520 Mobile: 0448 167 578 Fax: 03 9276 7798 Email: [email protected] asg.com.au/neita

National Excellence in Teaching Awards

2015 ASG National Excellence in Teaching Awards State and Territory Award Recipient

Blair Saunders All Saints’ College Bull Creek, WA

At the beginning of every school year Blair Saunders asks himself what kind of teacher his Year 4 students will need him to be. Teaching at All Saints’ College in Bull Creek, Western Australia, Blair introduced a ‘Meet the teacher’ night in his classroom, and this approach exemplifies his philosophy that places ‘relationships’ at the forefront of his teaching. Based on the SCARF-relationship model (Status-Clarity-Autonomy-Relatedness-Fairness), Blair’s teaching assists student learning by establishing clear lines of accountability and a shared understanding of the value of learning. While tools alone do not teach students, Blair believes they can be crucial to the learning process. He is constantly looking for new and better ways to teach and has found the ‘Word Q’ and ‘Proloquo2go’ apps helpful for students with learning difficulties. Blair continues to refine his pedagogy, and modifying and honing his teaching practice. This year he integrated principles from Harvard’s innovative ‘Project Zero’ into his classroom. He works hard to provide clarity of expectations to complement his clarity of teaching and to produce a nurturing culture of learning. After spending time in a leadership role, Blair returned to classroom teaching because he realised that working directly with students was what he found most rewarding. He cited student relationships and the satisfaction of seeing them learn, as well as their parents’ gratitude, as the reasons he wants to stay in his classroom doing what he loves best.

Position

Other responsibilities

Teacher

Category

Subjects/level taught

Years teaching

Primary

Year 4

12

Years at this school/centre

School type

Nominated by

Town/suburb

State and postcode

2

Independent

Parent

Bull Creek

WA 6149

CONTACT DETAILS: Teacher: Blair Saunders Principal/Director: Belinda Provis

Phone: 08 9313 9333 Email: [email protected]

NEiTA is administered by the Australian Scholarships Group Friendly Society Limited ABN 21 087 648 879 Registered Office 23-35 Hanover St Oakleigh Vic Australia 3166 For further information, please contact: Nicole Gundi, Public Relations, Australian Scholarships Group Phone: 03 9276 7520 Mobile: 0448 167 578 Fax: 03 9276 7798 Email: [email protected] asg.com.au/neita

National Excellence in Teaching Awards

2015 ASG National Excellence in Teaching Awards State and Territory Award Recipient

Paula Warr Woodvale Secondary College Woodvale, WA

A finalist as WA Premier’s Secondary Educator of the Year in 2014, Paula Warr has a long association with the teaching profession. Her father was a science and maths teacher, then Deputy Principal and Principal in a career spanning 40 years. Many family friends were also teachers and for Paula, with so many role models, it was a natural choice. Always searching for new and innovative teaching methods to keep her students motivated and focused, Paula sees herself as a lifelong learner. She strives to pass this worldview on to her students at Woodvale Secondary College (WSC) in Woodvale, WA. Teaching Science from Years 7 to 10, and Human Biology to Year 11 and 12 students provides ample opportunities for Paula to do this. In 2010, as a Teacher Development Centre Coordinator for Years 8 to 10 Science, Paula wrote curriculum materials for implementation of the Australian Curriculum in Western Australia. At WSC, she was appointed Academic Extension Coordinator and Science Enrichment Coordinator, and she was soon developing rigorous and challenging differentiated curriculum for students in the high academic pathway. Paula also teaches ‘Young Einsteins’, who are selected Years 5 and 6 students from four feeder primary schools. In addition, she is well known for her amazing science demonstrations and encouraging students to enter national and state science competitions. The long list of recognition and awards received by her students in these competitions are a testament to outstanding teaching.

Position

Other responsibilities

Category

Subjects/level taught

Years teaching

Teacher

Transition Program, Young Einsteins

Secondary

Science

24

Years at this school/centre

School type

Nominated by

Town/suburb

State and postcode

19

Government

School Board

Woodvale

WA 6026

CONTACT DETAILS: Teacher: Paula Warr Principal/Director: Lea Fairfoul-Hutcheon

Phone: 08 9309 0802 Email: [email protected]

NEiTA is administered by the Australian Scholarships Group Friendly Society Limited ABN 21 087 648 879 Registered Office 23-35 Hanover St Oakleigh Vic Australia 3166 For further information, please contact: Nicole Gundi, Public Relations, Australian Scholarships Group Phone: 03 9276 7520 Mobile: 0448 167 578 Fax: 03 9276 7798 Email: [email protected] asg.com.au/neita

National Excellence in Teaching Awards