Awards

Education Excellence Awards

The 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