World Teachers’ Day (Australia)

People’s Choice Teaching Awards Honour Local Teachers for Building Strong Communities in Victoria

On Australia’s celebration of World Teachers’ Day, the NEiTA Foundation and the Australian Scholarships Group (ASG) is proud to announce the national teaching recipients of the ASG Community Merit Awards. World Teachers’ Day was started by UNESCO and is celebrated in more than 100 countries around the world each year. On its 40th anniversary this year, it represents a significant token of the awareness, understanding, and appreciation displayed for the vital contribution that teachers make to education.

Chairman of the NEiTA Foundation, Terry O’Connell, said, "Teachers touch lives. Teachers connect with thousands of Australian children every day to make a difference and the NEiTA Teaching Awards program offers communities just one way of showing their appreciation for the great work teachers do."

This year, 69 teachers from 39 Early Childhood Centres and Schools have been honoured with an ASG Community Merit Awards as part of the NEiTA Foundation’s People’s Choice Excellence in Teaching Awards. The Award Recipients were selected from 1717 national nominations received from members of the early childhood, school, and local communities.

The NEiTA Foundation congratulated the teachers receiving ASG Community Merit Awards and encouraged them on their outstanding and tireless contribution in serving their Centres and Schools, and their wider communities.

"Even during the thirteenth year of the NEiTA Foundation’s Teaching Awards program, I continue to be inspired by the extraordinary contribution of so many of our educators in their efforts not only within the classroom in their dayto-day teaching roles, but in their work to enrich the lives of their students, parents, their centres and schools, and communities. The diversity and innovation of these teachers’ community activities continues to amaze me," Terry O’Connell said.

The NEiTA Foundation awarded the teachers with ASG Community Merit Awards in the following categories:
.. In Early Childhood: 15 teachers from 11 Centres and Schools received awards;
.. In Primary: 30 teachers from 18 Schools received awards; and
.. In Secondary: 24 teachers from 10 Schools received awards.

For Victoria, the NEiTA Foundation awarded eight teachers from three Early Childhood Centres and Schools in the following categories:
.. In Early Childhood: one teacher from one Centre received an award;
.. In Primary: one teacher from one School received an award; and
.. In Secondary: six teachers from one School received awards.

A list of Victorian teachers and their Early Childhood Centres and Schools is attached along with a table detailing the nomination breakdown by state and category, the Victorian Award Citations, and two Top Ten lists detailing the reasons ASG Community Merit Award Recipients became teachers, and their Community Project Categories.

The Awards recognise teachers’ work in integrating the education environment into the local community or providing opportunities for the community to participate in the activities of the centre or school. The teachers’ projects covered a diverse spectrum, including the media, environment, art, safety, literacy, sport, and general community assistance.

"People often say centres and schools are a good reflection of the community within which they operate," ASG’s Communities General Manager, Warwick James said. "The teachers nominated through ASG’s Community Merit Awards reflect the admiration, respect, and gratitude that these communities feel for their teachers, as well as, the quality and depth of their work in integrating the education environment into their broader communities."

People’s Choice Teaching Awards Honour Local Teachers for Building Strong Communities Page 2 Launched in 1994 by the Australian Scholarships Group, the NEiTA Foundation’s teaching awards program aim to encourage all teachers to higher levels of excellence and commitment, and to attract bright young minds to the profession to become the calibre of educators our children deserve. These awards provide the community with the opportunity to encourage, recognise, honour and reward the work of excellent, dedicated, talented and innovative and inspiring teachers. These teachers’ efforts often go unrecognised, but in this honours program, it's the teachers who go to the top of the class.

"The nomination of a teacher or teaching team from local community schools and centres pays tribute to the organisation’s supporting environment and network that makes great teaching and learning possible," Terry O’Connell said.

The recipients of an ASG Community Merit Award will be presented with a specially minted and engraved bronze medallion honouring their achievement and their centre or school with an engraved plaque. Award presentation events will be held at the centre or school in November and December. In addition, three teachers, selected from the ASG Community Merit Award recipients, will receive National ASG Community Merit Awards. Each will receive the specially crafted NEiTA crystal apple and an ASG grant of $5,000 to be used for the benefit of their centre or school and wider community. The recipients of these further awards will be announced from early to mid-2007.

The NEiTA Foundation awards program offers a unique opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the contribution of a special teacher. More information can be obtained from the NEiTA Foundation’s website at: www.neita.com or by calling the free help line on 1800 624 487.

Top 10 Reasons ASG Community Merit Award Recipients Became Teachers

1. Inspired by a teacher
2. Desire to work with or a love of children
3. Challenging/rewarding/enjoyable career
4. Love of learning/Value of learning
5. Making a difference
6. Improve outcomes for students
7. Suitable skills
8. Family tradition
9. Love of teaching
10. Own educational experiences

Top 10 Community Project Categories Of ASG Community Merit Award Recipients

1. Environment
2. Community Assistance
3. Integrating the community into the school
4. Literacy
5. Integrating the school into the community
6. Safety
7. Environment/Arts
8. Sport
9. Media
10. Arts/Music