Macquarie Fields High School teacher Marinda Barnes named a Rising Star for 2017

Teacher Marinda Barnes has been named as one of the 30 Rising Stars for 2017 in her profession but her main priority remains on achieving the best outcomes for her students.

Teacher Marinda Barnes celebrates her win with her students at Macquarie Fields High School. Picture: Melvyn Knipe

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MACQUARIE Fields High School teacher Marinda Barnes has been named as one of the 30 Rising Stars for 2017 in her profession but her main priority remains on achieving the best outcomes for her students.

Ms Barnes, of Ruse, is driven to help students reach their full potential through her role as the school’s relieving head teacher of welfare and support.

She is responsible for managing the school’s welfare programs including support for students with disabilities, expanding the peer support program and identifying students who are disengaged and building their resilience and communication skills.

“I also work with a team of support teachers to provide more individual help for students with low-level disabilities,’’ she said.

“We have great students at the school and a great team of staff and I want to make sure we give our students all of the opportunities that we can.

“The more leadership opportunities that I have, I feel I will learn more but also add more to our school.’’

Ms Barnes has been at the school for six years and also teaches social science, economics, business and geography.

She said she felt very appreciative and quite humbled to be named on The Educator magazine’s Rising Stars 2017 list.

She was nominated by Macquarie Fields High School deputy principal Justin Perret and head teacher Veronica Mafi.

Marinda Barnes said she became a high school teacher because she wanted a more meaningful job.

All Rising Stars are singled out for their expertise, strength of character and the innovative leadership they show at their school.

They work in high or primary schools and are on track to become future leaders in their field. “By the end of the year I would like to have a mentor program up and running and evaluate how it is going, and get the community and parents involved,’’ Ms Barnes said.

“For the students identified as needing more support, I hope to see some educational improvements for them.’’

She has a business degree and worked in marketing before going back to university to become a teacher.

“I worked previously in other occupations but I wanted a job that was more meaningful,’’ she said.

“Teaching gives me a great deal of personal satisfaction.’’

Ms Barnes studied a Masters in Teaching at Western Sydney University and completed her prac teaching at Macquarie Fields High School.

She said she was overjoyed when she was able to return to the school full-time at the end of her studies.

“I want to instil in my students a respect for each other and try to get kids to think critically, to question what they think and what they are doing,’’ she said.

Ms Barnes, who grew up in Campbelltown, went to Mt Carmel Catholic High School.

“I was inspired by my English teacher because she taught me to aim high,’’ she said.

Ms Barnes said her career goals for the future were to become a head teacher on a permanent basis and to continue to take on leadership opportunities in the school