Awards

Education Excellence Awards

Education Excellence Awards 06-group of winnersThe Victorian Education Excellence Awards celebrate and publicly recognise the outstanding work of Victoria’s kindergarten and school teachers, school leaders and education support staff.  

The awards provide professional development opportunities, both in Australia and internationally, for those who exemplify education best practice and innovation.

Award winners were announced at the Victorian Education Excellence Awards gala dinner on Friday 15 May 2009. 

For more information, including a list of the 2009 award winners, see Victorian Education Excellence Awards

Long Service Awards

Staff with 35, 40, 45 or 50 years of service to the Department were acknowledged during Education Week 2009. 

For more information about the two members of staff receiving a 50 years of service award, see: 50 Years of Service

For a full list of who received these awards, see: 2009 Long Service Award recipients (PDF - 336Kb)

Potential 2010 long service award recipients will be notified in writing in February 2010.

Eligibility Criteria

The 35, 40, 45 and 50 Years of Service Awards recognise employees who have provided long periods of service to Victorian government school education.

To be eligible for such an award, an employee’s service must have been with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development – ongoing and/or fixed-term (regardless of time fraction) – in a school or administrative setting.

Eligible service will be determined in accordance with recognition of service for long service leave purposes as prescribed in the relevant Ministerial Orders or Department policy.

These eligibility criteria will apply to all potential award recipients.  Potential award recipients will only receive an award if they respond to the Department by a stipulated date after being contacted for permission for inclusion of their name in the list of recipients.

The cut-off date for consideration for each year’s awards will be 30 June of each calendar year.

Education Community Service Awards

Education Community Service Awards are presented annually to members of the community who have contributed to positive educational experiences for children attending Victorian government schools.

Recipients are people of exceptional character who have made an outstanding contribution in one or more areas of education.

One Education Community Service Award winner per region is recognised during Education Week each year.

Congratulations to the 2009 Education Community Service Award recipients:

  • Sue Bennett

     East Loddon P-12 College (Loddon Mallee Region)
  • Jenny Foster-Knight

    Cobram Primary School (Hume Region)
  • Henry Godfrey

    Hastings Primary School (Southern Metropolitan Region)
  • Kerryn Holland

    Thomastown Primary School (Northern Metropolitan Region)
  • Karen Hunter

    Yuille Park P-8 Community College (Grampians Region)
  • Christa Lazendorfer

    St Albans East Primary School (Western Metropolitan Region)
  • Lorraine Reade

    Kongwak Primary School (Gippsland Region)
  • Brian Towart

    Grovedale West Primary School (Barwon South Western Region)
  • Joan Towart

    Grovedale West Primary School (Barwon South Western Region)
  • Robert Turnbull

    Serpell Primary School (Eastern Metropolitan Region)

Nominations

Principals are invited to nominate a community member for their contribution to the school, the school community or the Victorian school community as a whole.

The service for which the award is made should have taken place in the 12 months before the closing date for nominations.

Examples of potential candidates could be an individual involved in connecting the school to the local community, a volunteer classroom helper, the organiser of school events such as fundraisers and/or an individual who has implemented a program at a school level such as an environmental initiative or pastoral support program.

Nominations for the awards in 2010 will be open in February. Application forms will be available here in early 2010.

Outstanding Parent Awards

Active involvement of parents in their children's schools is a priority of the Victorian Government.

The Outstanding Parent Awards recognise the invaluable contributions made by parents to their school communities—their participation, ideas and enthusiasm on issues relating to the education of children in Victoria.

One Outstanding Parent Award winner per region is recognised during Education Week each year. 

Congratulations to the 2009 Outstanding Parent Award recipients:

  • Peter Allan

    Brunswick Secondary College (Northern Metropolitan Region)
  • Meryl Andrews

    Box Hill High School (Eastern Metropolitan Region)
  • Linda Cam

    Maffra Primary School (Gippsland Region)
  • Shirley Harvey

    Casterton Secondary College (Barwon South Western Region)
  • Frances James

    Ascot Vale West Primary School (Western Metropolitan Region)
  • Kath Lewinson

    Mount Beauty Primary School (Hume Region)
  • Sandra Middleton

    Mount Clear Primary School (Grampians Region)
  • Roy Rayner

    Bendigo Primary School (Loddon Mallee Region)
  • Sharon Tyler

    Harkaway Primary School (Southern Metropolitan Region)

Nominations

Schools, school councils and parent associations are invited to nominate a parent for their contribution to the school, the school community or the Victorian school community as a whole.

The service for which the award is made should have taken place in the 12 months before the closing date for nominations.

Examples of potential candidates include parent advocates, reading helpers, parent class representatives, parent association or school council members, library, canteen or classroom helpers.

Nominations for the awards in 2010 will be open in February. Application forms will be available here in early 2010.

Retiring School Councillors

Every year the Department recognises the contribution that retiring school councillors have made to education.

Congratulations and thank you to the following 2009 retiring school councillors with 15 years or more service on one school council:

  • Graeme Anyon

    Skene Street School – 17 years
  • Colin Barry

    McKinnon Secondary College – 19 years
  • Trevor Browning

    Yarrabah School – 20 years
  • Rod Cavagna

    Cobram Special School – 19 years
  • Delwyn Ellis

    Dorset Primary School – 20 years
  • Glenda Everett

    Boneo Primary School – 19 years
  • John Ford

    Mount Blowhard Primary School – 17 years
  • Chris Gahan

    Stonnington Primary School – 40+ years
  • Gary Green

    Horsham West Primary School – 17 years
  • Karen Harricks

    Ararat Community College Secondary – 18 years
  • Peter Hill

    Bimbadeen Heights Primary School – 21 years
  • Robert Hodgetts

    Landsborough Primary School – 17 years
  • John Jess

    Buangor Primary School – 19 years
  • Graeme King

    Boneo Primary School – 16 years
  • Peter Knight

    Shepparton High School – 15 years
  • Christa Lanzendorfer

    St Albans East Primary School – 33 years
  • Tim McMahon

    Balwyn High School – 15 years
  • Ken Merkel

    Talgarno Primary School – 20 years
  • Andy Miller

    Rubicon Outdoor Centre – 16 years
  • Eric Mitchell

    Keysborough Secondary College – 17 years
  • Bill O’Connor

    Dookie Primary School – 20 years
  • Colleen Parry

    Navaree Primary School – 15 years
  • Mike Plant

    Bimbadeen Heights Primary School – 18 years
  • Patricia Ryan

    Manangatang P-12 College – 21 years
  • Lynn Whitehead

    Bealiba Primary School – 30 years
  • Michael Williamson

    Whittlesea Primary School – 17 years

Eligibility for recognition

Each year, in first term, school principals and school council presidents are asked to inform the Department of school councillors who are retiring so that they can be acknowledged for their service.

School councillors who have provided continuous service for five or more years at the same school and who have recently retired from their school council positions are eligible for recognition. Only councilors who are not members of the Department are eligible for recognition.

School councillors who have served fifteen years or more will be recognised at a gala dinner during Education Week and those who have served between five and fourteen years will be recognised at a regional office function also held during Education Week.

For further information about the retiring school councillor awards please email: community.stakeholders@edumail.vic.gov.au