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A class above
He’s still in his forties, and you might think he’s too young to be publishing his memoirs. You’d be wrong. Chris Sarra, educator, Indigenous activist and NRL commissioner, has just had good morning, Mr Sarra published. I’s a great read, a compelling and inspiring tale, not just on account of his own stellar achievements, but […]
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Heading in The Right Direction
Peter Hoehn, a teacher at Tullawong state high school says, “in order to get to where you want to go in life you need clear goals.” The school runs an innovative program in indigenous leadership, health and cultural awareness that is making a real difference in students’ lives. Tullawong State High School, in Caboolture, is […]
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Finding Her Voice
Wiradjuri woman Tarina Perry’s ultimate goal is to teach in schools and guide Koori kids to make their educational experiences positive. She already has a Bachelor of Social Sciences and is midway through her Bachelor of Education, but learning hasn’t always come easily for Tarina. “Growing up, I was in and out of foster homes […]
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Making the Most of Opportunities
For Cristilee Louttit, being an Indigenous Education Ambassador is all about sharing and learning and making the most of the opportunity to be a role model for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It’s particularly important to Cristilee, given her early educational experiences. “When I went to school, there were no ambassadors or role […]
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A Great Start in Life
Children develop quickly between the ages of three and five and make many major breakthroughs in their use of language and motor skills, as well as developing their social and intellectual skills. A quiet achiever who delights in working with this age group is Suzie Lawson at Gyndarna preschool in Dareton, on the Murray river […]
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Strong foundations: Learn today, lead tomorrow
Noongar woman and Human Rights Lawyer Hannah McGlade put her hand up to become an Indigenous Education Ambassador to promote the importance of education “because we are still Closing the Gap in educational outcomes for our people.” Like other Indigenous Education Ambassadors across Australia, she draws on her own educational experiences to motivate and, hopefully, […]
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Leading the way
It was a deadly day out for eight of Australia’s best and brightest Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student teachers last month. Years of dedication and hard work were rewarded in the best possible way with her Excellency, The Governor-General, Ms Quentin Bryce AC CVO on hand to award eight university students the prestigious Governor […]
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Connecting with kids
Name: Peter Henwood Peter Henwood likes wide open spaces as well as classrooms. He has been a schoolteacher for 25 years, and has spent many of them in remote bush towns and communities. Now he is teaching media and computer studies at Tennant Creek High School, in the heart of the Northern Territory, and he […]
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Island Trumps Ingrid
Story: Island Trumps Ingrid A tiny community fights back after a cyclone destroys their school. The tiny community of Minjilang on Croker Island, 200km northeast of Darwin, was one of the worst-hit areas when Cyclone Ingrid raged through the region at winds of up to 290 kph in March last year. Fortunately no-one was injured; […]
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A whole new spin
Name: Paul Woodhead Paul Woodhead has been a favourite teacher at Dubbo West Primary School for the past 15 years. Paul, who got into teaching 25 years ago after winning a scholarship, says he still loves his job after all those years in front of a blackboard. “I love working with kids,” he says. “But […]
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All About Auntie Alice
Story: Dr Alice Rigney This inspiring Elder of the Kaurna and Narungga nations was also our first female Aboriginal school principal. Deadly Vibe pays respect. Aboriginal Elder Dr Alice Rigney is a 30-year veteran of education in South Australia. Starting out as a teachers’ aide in 1967, Alice retired as principal of Kaurna Plains School […]
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Fun and Games
Name: Sarita Lawler Sarita Lawler has been teaching for only 15 weeks, but already she’s been making an impact at Katherine High School in the Northern Territory. After completing her teaching degree at the Queensland University of Technology last year, Sarita found it tough going trying to find a good job in her home state. […]
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Good Vibes For Uncle Pete
Story: Peter Buckskin A leading advocate of Indigenous education for 25 years, Peter Buckskin knows the value of a good teacher more than most. When Peter Buckskin was a student in Western Australia, one of his teachers coolly suggested he stop wasting his parents’ money at boarding school and go and start digging holes in […]
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Magnetic motivation
Name: Mathew Healy Mount Magnet is a small, isolated community 600km north of Perth. The town has one school, Mount Magnet District High School, which has 160 students from Kindergarten through to Year 10. Matthew Healy is the school’s health and physical education teacher. It’s a job that covers a lot more than just T-ball […]
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Network with other schools and broaden your horizons
Story: Who’s your buddy? Whether your school is in the city, the country or way out bush, you could probably use a buddy. A buddy school, that is. The Buddy School network is part of the Dare to Lead project – an Australian Government funded, national project with a focus on improving educational outcomes for […]
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Bridging the gap
Name: Donna Bridge Donna Bridge is an English and art teacher at One Arm Point Remote Community School. One Arm Point is an isolated community about 220 kilometres north of Broome in the Kimberley. The township has a population of 500, and there are 100 students at the school, ranging from kindergarten through to high […]
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