Auburn North Public School winners of excellence awards
One public school is sweeping up a swathe of educational awards and passing on the benefits to its students.
Parramatta
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Excellence in education comes in many forms.
For Auburn North Public School, being named the winners of two prestigious state-wide awards for a second consecutive year is an accolade the school is humble to receive.
School principal Mark Harris said being recognised with the Secretary’s Award for Outstanding School Initiative and Secretary’s School Achievement Award at this year’s Minister’s and Secretary’s Awards for Excellence all boiled down to the Auburn North “family”.
“We’re very proud of who we are, being in each other’s company and setting an example of what public education can achieve,” Mr Harris said.
The outstanding initiative award was for the school’s leadership in whole-school improvement, and the achievement award was for its Parents as Partners in Learning program. Beyza Acar of Year 6 felt “overjoyed and privileged” to be part of her school community. She said the awards recognised the entire community of parents, staff and students, who worked together to achieve the best.
She said, “we not only focus on students but we include education for parents too.”
Mr Harris said while the school functions to help young people to better prepare for their future, it also allowed the community to be involved in extra school activities too.
He said regular training workshops for parents help “empower” them to be more active in their child’s life and strengthen abilities to assist in learning in the home.
“More than 50 per cent of parents participate in each workshop,” he said.
“We also have Harmony House programs where parents and adults can come and learn English and maths, and participate in social and recreational activities with one another,” he said.
With 702 students at the school, more than 120 parents attend daily assemblies.
It’s one small characteristic indicative of what he believes makes Auburn North Public School a place with one of the “highest levels of parent engagement of any school in the state”.