Celebrating Excellence in Public Schools 2021 PROUDLY PUBLIC AWARDS WELCOME Monday 31 May 2021 It’s terrific to be returning to the Sydney Town Hall for the 2021 Proudly Public Awards. After many months apart, tonight we are able to come together again to celebrate the enduring values Sydney Town Hall of Australian public education. The last year has 483 George Street, Sydney tested these values like nothing in living memory, and public schools have passed with flying colours. Character and resilience are two of those values that have shone through, and they’ll be on display again tonight in the stories of our winners. You’ll also witness excellence – in the performances, the speeches, the personal stories. PRESENTERS You’ll be entertained by the Southern Stars of the NSW Department of Education, inspired by public PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY: school student and teenage climate activist Jean Hinchliffe and guided by journalist and radio/TV presenter Tom Tilley. Of course, the evening is also an opportunity to show our gratitude to the many wonderful supporters of public education – the individuals, foundations and companies who give generously to make these scholarships possible. On behalf of all our winners and their families, I know you’ll join me in thanking them. If there’s one thing I’d ask you to take away tonight, it’s this… don’t be reluctant to fly the flag for public education. Too often in public schooling, we hide JEAN HINCHLIFFE TOM TILLEY our light under a bushel so next time you’re in a Australian School Climate Strike leader Journalist and radio/TV presenter conversation about schools, remember the stories and Year 12 Student (Fort Street HS, NSW) (Mudgee HS, NSW) you’ve heard here tonight and the exceptional things that take place in your own school, and give a big Jean Hinchliffe is a climate justice activist and Tom hosts the daily news podcast The Briefing. wrap to public education. organiser within School Strike 4 Climate, and Prior to this, he was the longstanding host of triple a year 12 student at Fort Street High School. j’s current affairs show Hack, a contributor to Be Proudly Public! Jean began her activism at age 13, when she Channel Ten’s The Project and a reporter for ABC’s volunteered with the Yes campaign for marriage Foreign Correspondent. He has also hosted PM on David Hetherington equality. Since then, she has also worked with ABC Radio and The Drum on ABC TV. He is the bass Executive Director organisations such as GetUp! and Stop Adani. player of Client Liaison for which he has twice been P.S. If you’re inspired by tonight’s show, please visit Jean’s first book, ‘Lead the Way: How to change nominated National Live Music Awards. publiceducationfoundation.org.au to watch, share the world from a teen activist and school striker’ or donate! was published by Pantera Press in March 2021. 2 Public Education Foundation AWARDS 2021 3 ORDER OF PROCEEDINGS CEREMONY 1 Emorgo Scholarship for Music Opening Address Scholarship Scholarship Public Education Foundation Tertiary Scholarship 4PM Patricia Long Conservatorium The Hon Sarah Mitchell, Presentations Presentations High School Scholarship NSW Minister for Education Harding Miller Education Scholarship Presentations RBC Tertiary Scholarship Acknowledgement Foundation Scholarship Acacia Program Scholarship Susan & Isaac Wakil Foundation Student Speech Scholarship Scholarship of Country Agnes Borsody Scholarship Kyleigha Crawford, Presentations Performance – Teachers Health Tertiary Students: Nioka-Rose Blair Public Education Foundation South Sydney High School Walter and Eliza Hall Trust Time to be Awesome Scholarship and Alira Morgan Secondary Scholarship Opportunity Scholarship Vocalists: Phoebe Cavanough, Finale Performance – PEF National Secondary Aboriginal Education Council Ava Crews, Chelsea Kokden, Performance – Let it Rain Master of Ceremonies Scholarship Time to be Awesome Scholarship Bella Laga’aia, Jasmine Southern Stars Featured Artist: Harmony Dyer, Vocalists: Phoebe Cavanough, Whiddon, Kristin Mitchell, RBC High School Scholarship Dulce Ang Vincentia High School Pat Zinn Memorial Scholarship Ava Crews, Chelsea Kokden, Ben Jancetic, Reuben Aguilera, Unions NSW Jeff Shaw Andrew Casey Indigenous Bella Laga’aia, Jasmine Arhn Castles Memorial Scholarships Scholarship Opening Address Scholarship Whiddon, Kristin Mitchell, Dancers: Emilia Rajendra, Western Sydney Leadership Presentations David Hetherington, Connected Communities Ben Jancetic, Reuben Aguilera, Lucy Slater, Lola Thompson, Dialogue Secondary Executive Director, Arhn Castles Scholarship Teachers Health Early Career Amelia Carriage, Sophie Scholarship Scholarship Public Education Foundation Dancers: Emilia Rajendra, Jack Brockhoff Victorian Richards, Tahli Flew, Elizabeth Teachers Mutual Bank Victorian Lucy Slater, Lola Thompson, Indigenous Scholarship Apter, Macey Synott, Paige Remarks from the Scholarship Mid-Career Scholarship Amelia Carriage, Sophie Public Education Foundation Bridgett, Ellie Rogers Executive Director Presentations Richards, Tahli Flew, Elizabeth Indigenous Scholarship Teachers Mutual Bank Apter, Macey Synott, Paige David Hetherington Principals Scholarship Vorsay Scholarship Rural & Remote Indigenous Scholarship Bridgett, Ellie Rogers NSW Teachers Federation Secondary Scholarship Presentations Harvard Club of Australia Keynote Speaker Principals Scholarship Primary Scholarship NSW Teachers Federation Una May Smith Scholarship - Jean Hinchliffe Public Education Foundation Secondary Refugee Scholarship Public Education Foundation Principals Scholarship Primary Scholarship Friends of Zainab Senior CEREMONY 2 Performance – Perfect NSW Primary Principals Performance – Secondary Scholarship Southern Stars Featured Principal’s Address Association Scholarship 7PM Come Alive Friends of Zainab Tertiary Artists: Will Skarpona, Harry Damien Keel, RBC Primary Scholarship Harmony Dyer, Grace Gladwin- Scholarship Herbert, Jai Ellevsen, Emerson Acknowledgement Yarrawonga College P-12 - VIC GO Foundation PEF Scholarship Paffett, Georgia Laga’aia, NSW Teachers Federation Garcia, Jasper Lucas of Country Monkia Mitrevska, Tertiary Scholarship Rural & Remote Indigenous Closing Remarks Students: Nioka-Rose Blair Molly Parrish-Gibbons, AEU Victorian Branch Refugee Scholarship Primary Scholarship Tom Tilley and Alira Morgan Charlotte Turnbull, Jai Scholarship Presentations Una May Smith Scholarship - Ellevsen, Emerson Garcia, Primary AFTRS Refugee Scholarship Aboriginal Education Council Welcome to Proudly Will Skarpona, Harry Herbert Finale Performance – David S Ratner Scholarship High Achiever Scholarship Born to be Brave Public! Student Speech NSW Teachers Federation Conservatorium High School Southern Stars Performing Tom Tilley Emilie Martin, Awards for HSC Excellence Scholarship Company students Mudgee High School NSW Cookery Teachers Association Scholarship 4 Public Education Foundation AWARDS 2021 5 PERFORMERS SOUTHERN STARS Southern Stars is the premier performing arts event in Southern NSW, involving 3000 public school students performing to audiences in excess of 12,000 at the WIN Entertainment Centre in Wollongong each year. Southern Stars gives public school students with a passion for music, dance, drama, and circus, an opportunity to perform and entertain ACKNOWLEDGMENT COME ALIVE PERFECT LET IT RAIN throughout the year such as in an enthralling celebration of Education Week, the International creativity and talent in a world class OF COUNTRY Harmony Dyer, Grace Gladwin- 5 Tenors, Southern Stars Southern Stars Featured Artist: Student Awards, media launches arena spectacular event. Paffett, Georgia Laga’aia, Monkia Students: Nioka-Rose Blair (left), Featured Artists: Will Skarpona, Dulce Ang and sponsorship events. Mitrevska, Molly Parrish-Gibbons, With a focus on excellence, a proud Wiradjuri and Yuin woman Harry Herbert, Jai Ellevsen, Charlotte Turnbull, Jai Ellevsen, Dulce is a Year 12 student from The Southern Stars Performing participation, collaboration and fun from Corrimal High School and Emerson Garcia, Jasper Lucas Emerson Garcia, Will Skarpona, Keira High School and this is her Company is thrilled to be asked - for most students participating Alira Morgan (right), a proud Harry Herbert These 5 male vocalists performing first year as a featured artist in to once again be invited to provide in Southern Stars it is the highlight Dharawal and Gamilaroi woman tonight are a continuation of Southern Stars 2021. entertainment for the Public of their school years! from Kiama High School. Wollongong High School of the Education Foundation Awards “I am so grateful for this incredible Many students involved in the Performing Arts Pre-Professional and we thank the organisers for opportunity to perform with show over the last 20 years, Music Program, established in the opportunity students who share the same both as performers and back 2019 with the original Four Tenors passion as myself, I want to thank The company features students stage support, have gone on to that performed at the 2019 my amazing teacher Ashleigh from Year 3 to Year 12 from forge successful careers in the Excellence in Education Awards. Smith for always believing in my schools from the Illawarra, entertainment industry, crediting Tonight is the boys first official talent and pushing me to pursue Shoalhaven, South Coast, their experiences in the program performance as members of the my dreams in music.” Southern Highlands, and for honing their skills and talents. quintet and they look forward Sydney