TEACHX Awards: Logan school scores three best-teacher finalists

Finalists for the annual TEACHX Awards have been revealed, and one Queensland school is leading the charge with three nominations. SEE LIST

Queensland’s most outstanding, innovative and inspirational teachers and school leaders have been revealed as finalists in this year’s prestigious state teaching awards.

Twenty-nine finalists from across the state have been named in this year’s Queensland College of Teachers TEACHX Awards, with Logan’s Mabel Park State High School scoring three nominations.

Alongside principal Michael Hornby, who was named a finalist in the Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning category, teachers Dominic Maclean and Karen McGeachie were also recognised.

Marsden State High School’s Sean Curtis and Jenna Cullen were also named as finalists in the Excellent Leadership and Innovation categories respectively.

Townsville’s St Patrick’s College also scored multiple nominations, with Gayle Walkom, recognised in the Excellence in Beginning to Teach category, along with Susan Rheinberger who was named a finalist for the Outstanding Contribution to Teaching Awards.

QCT board chair Emeritus Professor Wendy Patton said the “inspirational” finalists had made “extraordinary differences to their students, their colleagues, their communities and the teaching profession.”

“The QCT feels privileged to be able to share and highlight their outstanding work,” she said.

“I’d like to thank all teachers across Queensland for their teaching excellence and commitment to students, in what has been another tough year for this state.

We are proud of the difference the profession makes and we encourage all Queenslanders to celebrate teachers when the state celebrates World Teachers’ Day later this month on October 29.”

Winners of this year’s TEACHX Awards will be announced on October 28, the eve of World Teachers’ Day. Each finalist will be awarded $500 for professional development, with winners taking home $5000.

Mabel Park State High School TEACHX Awards finalists Dominic Maclean (left), principal Michael Hornby and Karen McGeachie

PRINCIPAL TURNED AROUND TROUBLED SCHOOL

An inspirational and innovative principal who turned around a Logan high school has been named a finalist in the prestigious TEACHX Awards.

Mick Hornby took the reins at Mabel Park State High School just six years ago, but in that time has overseen a phenomenal transformation, evident by the schools rapidly booming enrolment.

With students numbers up from a stagnant 500 to about 1500 now, Mr Hornby said his focus on the school’s “student first policy” had made making the tough decisions easier, and kept himself and his team focused.

“I wanted to create a workplace where it was a school for students, not just a bureaucratic system, where teachers really wanted to be,” he said.

“The school had got to a point where it wasn’t really respected in the community, and we had the lowest (student) numbers in Logan.

“We began having conversations about what is our vision and our mission, and what I thought would take three weeks ended up taking nearly two semesters because everyone wanted to communicate their ideas.”

Mr Hornby also oversaw the school implement the state’s first GP on site – who is available to all students one day per week free of charge – a program which has now been adopted by the State Government and will be rolled out to 50 schools across the state.

“It wasn’t heavily supported by some people, there we people who thought we should be schools only,” he said.

“But it’s just been brilliant – it was the right thing to do from an education point of view, but it’s so much more than that, we’re connecting people and the community.

“There was a lot of hard work behind it, but it was when of those times that you’re glad you pushed hard in a system where it can be hard to innovate at times, instead of just sitting back and saying ‘well, that’s the way it is’.”

But for all his achievements, Mr Hornby said it was the “phenomenal team” who he works with to which he credits the school’s success.

“I often say that if there was an Olympics for school teaching teams, we would win gold,” he said.

“They’re so committed, and I feel very lucky.”

Incredibly, Mr Hornby is not the school’s only finalist in this year’s TEACHX awards.

Science teacher Karen McGeachie has been named a finalist in the Excellence in Teaching category, while second-year teacher Dominic Maclean is up for the Excellence in Beginning to Teach Award.