The Altona City Rotary Club has hosted its inaugural Vocational Awards for Teaching Excellence night, at a special dinner held at the Kooringal Golf Club, on Monday October 22nd.
Hobsons Bay Mayor, Angela Altair was on hand, to present the awards to this special group of educators being honoured by their community. Cr Altair was thrilled to be part of the event, “It was very rewarding to be involved . . . What a great opportunity to shine a light on our hardworking teachers who bring so much passion and commitment to their work.” Along with Cr Sandra Wilson, the Mayor and the Hobsons Bay City Council understands exactly how integral teachers are to the community:
“Teachers and principals play a pivotal role in young people’s lives, often becoming a source of inspiration. Through the good work of our friends at Rotary, Hobsons Bay’s valuable school principals and teachers got the recognition they deserved. Congratulations to Rotary on this great event and to everyone who received an award. On behalf of the city, thank you for your dedication.”
Four teachers were honoured on the night.
Amy O’Dowd, of Newport Lakes Primary School was nominated by the parents of Class 10, because she is committed to building strong relationships with each child, understanding their needs and tailoring learning accordingly. She is an astute communicator, building a strong rapport with families, using an amazing weekly blog that keeps parents informed and helps them engage with their children.
Josephine Montalti, of Laverton P-12 College seemed truly humbled by the award. A positive influence in the lives of so many students, and an outstanding leader and Acting Assistant Principal, she works with all staff to influence them positively towards the school’s goals each year.
Sally Tonge, of Wembley Primary School is an inspirational teacher who has supported students through the Response to Intervention Program. Through a laser like focus on learning, a collaborative culture, and a focus on data, she leads a differentiated program in Literacy and Numeracy, for students from years Prep through to 6. As a result, students have achieved high learning growth across all areas.
Lastly, Julie Mason, who is not only the Principal at Baden Powell College, but also a proud Rotarian, was more than thrilled with this latest, in a long line of accolades received, over more than 40 years’ service to education, including being awarded Victorian Primary Principal of the Year, in 2005. Her school was recognized for offering students the opportunity to join service clubs for students – an Earlyact Club for primary students and an Interact Club for secondary students.
Rotary Club President, Bronwyn Fanning, said that the Club was very pleased with the inaugural awards night, and was keen to make the Teacher Awards an annual event.
Another highlight of this special night, was a terrific presentation by best-selling author, actress and online marketing specialist, Bernadette Schwerdt. She spoke about how to build an effective online business. The audience was charmed, entertained and educated by Ms. Schwerdt, with many lining up for signed copies of her book once the night was over.
The evening was certainly a great success! The Kooringal Golf Club provided a delicious spread, whilst the Altona City Rotary Club were most gracious hosts. Well done to the very first group of winners of the Vocational Awards for Teaching Excellence – worthy and inspiring.
Melissa Longo
#inkcloud #positivity #altona #rotaryclub #hobsonsbaycitycouncil
*Thanks to Bryan Goodwin – Secretary of the Altona City Rotary Club, for collating the necessary information and providing photos.
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Well done to the award winning teachers and indeed all teachers who an important element of the community who raises a child. Thank you to you all and thank you to Rotary for providing this spot light on our educators.
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