Little school wins big award

FOR a school with a student population of 41, Empire Vale carried all before it at the Newspapers in Education awards yesterday.

HEADLINER: Terrific teacher Karen Rantissi and her award- winning class from Empire Vale school.

FOR a school with a student population of 41, Empire Vale carried all before it at the Newspapers in Education awards yesterday.

Empire Vale Unveiled was named Newspaper of the Year and carried off an award for best environment story.

The school's NIE champion Karen Rantissi also won the Terrific Teacher award.

"If schools aren't in the NIE program, then they should be," Ms Rantissi said.

"We read papers, do crafts with them and recycle them. "We read local, national and international stories and it leads to many discussions in the classroom."

Empire Vale Unveiled was lauded by the judges for its: "short, sharp reads, look-at-me pictures, and clever set of headlines."

Ms Rantissi said the combined Year 4, 5 and 6 class took part in the project and all story ideas were discussed at length in a real newsroom environment.

The students won some great prizes including a trip to Seaworld.

Yesterday's awards ceremony was pay-off for a big year for the NIE program which continues to provide educational materials for teachers and students.

"NIE gives our students an audience for their work other than the classroom," Ms Rantissi said.

Other major award winners included:

Best story:

• High School: The Kadina Query - Girls Power On:
• Primary School: St Mary's Messenger - Do your clothes make a difference?

Best arts and culture story:

• The Goolmangar Gazette - Is creative arts needed in our schools?

Best community story:

• The Relihan Reader - The green team coming to a garden near you

Best sports story:

• St John's College Woodlawn.

Best photograph:

• Lennox Legend. Taken by Josh Watson and Samina Rowhani.