Finalists and winner of 2022 Victorian Education Excellence Awards from Melbourne’s north

A number of educators and schools in the northern suburbs were named as finalists in the Victorian Education Excellence, with one school claiming a top award. SEE THE LIST

Teachers and schools in Melbourne’s north have been recognised for outstanding work in the public education sector, with one school coming out on top in the Victorian Education Excellence awards.

The annual awards recognise “inspirational” teachers, principals, business managers and education support staff within the state’s public education system.

Reservoir East Primary School was named as the winner of the Outstanding Koorie Education category for Victoria.

The school’s Aboriginal Community Support Coordinator, Nikki Penrith, said the school community felt “fantastic” to have won the award.

“It outlines the terrific work that we’ve been doing here for a number of years, collaboratively with the community,” Ms Penrith said.

Reservoir East Primary School principal James Cumming and staff member Nikki Penrith with Indigenous students of the school.

“We feel quite humbled to be acknowledged for the wonderful work that the community has done with the school, to collaboratively create a culturally safe space for our children and families to come together.”

More than one quarter of the 200 pupils at the school are Indigenous, who are supported by Indigenous staff.

“We run a few different culturally safe programs here… that help us close the gap educationally to help our students‘ academics and improve school attendance,” Ms Penrith said.

“We do a lot of literacy intervention work… that has really greatly improved the academics of our students that come here.”

Other educators in Melbourne’s north were named as finalists, with Lalor Gardens Primary School’s Donatella Giuliano and Wattle Glen Primary School’s Kira Elliott named as finalists for “outstanding” teacher awards.

Ms Giuliano was named as a finalist for the Outstanding Primary Teacher award, for her work as Lalor Gardens Primary School’s co-ordinator for students with disabilities and Wellbeing Leader.

Teaching student Kira Elliott was recognised as a finalist in the Outstanding Early Career Primary Teacher category as a second-year graduate teacher at Wattle Glen Primary School.

Ms Elliott was nominated for the award for her contributions to improving the school and working “at the highest level”.

Teaching student Kira Elliott from Wattle Glen Primary School was named as a finalist in the Outstanding Early Career Primary Teacher category. Picture: Supplied.

“I feel very privileged and thankful for the school that I’m at for doing this, it’s not everyone that gets nominated in their second year, honestly it was a very big shock,” Ms Elliott said.

“I’ve been assisting with implementing a “Science of Reading” approach… to enhance our students’ academic improvement, which has been very successful.”

Greenhill Primary School’s Victoria Harris and Harvest Home Primary School’s Giovanna Tarsilli were also both named as finalists in the Outstanding Business Manager category.