Award recognises inspirational HPE teacher

A Brisbane North HPE teacher has been recognised as an inspirational teacher at a Women in Sports breakfast.

HPE teacher Bernie Toohey with St John Fisher College students Courtney Winter, Kaiyah Gordon and Marina Pataanga. Picture: Shari Dows

BERNIE Toohey of St John Fisher College has been recognised as an inspirational teacher.

Two days shy of World Teacher’s Day, Mrs Toohey was named 2019 UQ HMNS Inspirational Teacher of the Year at the ACHPER University of Queensland Women in Sports breakfast this morning.

The breakfast is an annual event which is attended by about 800 school girls from the southeast Queensland area.

St John Fisher College teacher Bernie Toohey with students Courtney Winter, Kaiyah Gordon and Marina Pataanga. Picture: Shari Dows

Mrs Toohey has been working in education since graduating from UQ in 1990 and is currently a full time HPE teacher at St John Fisher College, Bracken Ridge.

She is also the Year 7 and 8 co-ordinator, runs the Year 7 and 8 HPE program as well as the College’s netball program.

Head of Sport Tamara Sparks, who supported the three nominating students in putting Mrs Toohey forward, said her passion for sport was fierce, as was her dedication to her students.

In 2019, Mrs Toohey has demonstrated great commitment to the College, training, running and organising 13 inter-school netball teams. In addition to this she coordinates and coaches the Vicki Wilson junior and senior netball teams and coaches the junior, intermediate and senior QC Cup netball teams.

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She also coaches the QISSN netball team which travels to the largest independent schools’ netball carnival each year and has recently become team manager for USC (University Sunshine Coast) Thunder competing in the inaugural Hart Sapphire Series.

Ms Sparks said, “Bernie has been instrumental in the uprise and recent success of netball at St John Fisher College and with over 30 years of netball experience at the State, Australian and International level, including previous Team Manager of the Queensland Firebirds and Australian U16 Schoolgirls teams, she is an absolute asset to the College.”

Nominated by Courtney Winter, Marina Pataanga and Kaiyah Gordon - all keen St John Fisher College netballers - the students see her as an inspiration on and off the netball court.

Year 10 student Marina Pataanga said; “The qualities of a health and physical education teacher are difficult to assess but easy to spot.

“Mrs Toohey is one of the most dedicated, hardworking, fun-loving teachers at St John Fisher College.”

“She expects great effort and accomplishment from her students, regardless of the level they are working at, constantly helping students work towards reaching their goals,” Marina said.

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During her acceptance speech at the ACHPER award presentation, Mrs Toohey expressed her gratitude to the St John Fisher College students and Ms Sparks for nominating her for the award.

“I feel incredibly honoured to be receiving such a special award given that I know first hand that there are so many amazing, hardworking HPE teachers in other schools across the state,” Mrs Toohey said.

“I am definitely one of the lucky ones working in a wonderful College where the students and school community have gone out of their way to show their appreciation for my commitment and passion as a HPE teacher.

“As a former UQ graduate, as well as being both a mother and a HPE teacher, it gives me great personal satisfaction to be receiving this award at a Women in Sport event in front of my two remarkable daughters who, to my delight, are both currently studying to be teachers.

“Perhaps I should retire soon and pass on the baton. Fortunately, I still wake up every day loving my job so I honestly don’t see myself giving up teaching any time soon.”

The inspirational teacher award was presented ahead of World Teacher Day’s on October 25, a timely opportunity to acknowledge the positive difference teachers make to young people’s lives.

ACHPER (Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation Inc) is the leading professional association representing teachers and other professionals working in the fields of health and physical education.