2024 Showcase Awards
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 129 No 8, 1 November 2024, page no. 16
The QTU was again the proud sponsor of the Bevan Brennan “Every Child Needs a Champion: Realising the potential for every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student” category at the 2024 Showcase Awards.
I was extremely privileged to be announcing the two winners of this category on behalf of the QTU. Congratulations to Cherbourg State School and Miallo State School. These are two fantastic examples of resilient and self-reliant schools that, through strong community ties and dedicated QTU members, are delivering world class education in rural and remote settings.
Bevan Brennan dedicated four decades to education in Queensland, from classroom teacher to principal, regional director, and Assistant Director-General. He was an empathetic and relational leader who always championed supporting student wellbeing, and particularly disengaged and disadvantaged youth. Bevan was also my principal when I first transferred from the Wide Bay to the Sunshine Coast, and I saw firsthand how his unique leadership brought a sense of welcoming support and collaboration to a school community.
Cherbourg State School: “A place-based approach maximising student engagement and learning”
Cherbourg prides itself on its effective implementation of co-design, maximising learning time, and sustaining improved student outcomes. The school places high priority on meeting the individual wellbeing needs of every student to maximise their opportunity to succeed at school.
Cherbourg has implemented a variety of student and alternative learning programs, as well as collaborations with the community. These include the Barambah Youth Services Hub and Cherbourg Us Mob radio, the Gundoo Early Years Place, a Buwu Program (Engagement), a Juwanus’ Program (for girls), a remote school attendance strategy, Languages and Culture programs, success coaches, the Local Community Education Board, Cherbourg Council, Queensland Health, homework club and more.
Miallo State School: "Where everyone is a learner"
Miallo is located approximately 80 kilometres north of Cairns on the land of the Kuku Yalanji people. The school prioritises strong relationships and believes that diversity adds value.
The school’s reputation in the wider community for providing excellent support for learning and wellbeing has resulted in approximately 60 per cent of students being from out-of-catchment, with students travelling from as far as Cairns, Julatten, and over the Daintree River to attend the school.
At Miallo, the principal and school staff have worked together to identify and address the complex and diverse learning and social-emotional needs of individual students within the classroom and to adjust their learning environment to address those needs. This has enabled a strategic approach to providing a range of human and physical resources to students, from assistive technologies and additional support staff time to individualised spaces, programs, and activities.