MOUNT Gambier High School teachers Megan Spirat and Scott Gunn have been nominated for the South Australian Public Education Awards (SAPEA) in the community engagement section for the school’s music program.
The collaborative program involves the teachers connecting with students from North Primary School through a combined school band, with further mentoring provided by James Morrison Academy tertiary students.
The awards are an opportunity for South Australians to celebrate the outstanding and dedicated people working in teaching and non-teaching roles in public education.
Overall, 10 winners will be awarded $10,000 and 20 runners up will be awarded $2000 towards their choice of professional development.
Winners and runners up will be announced at an awards ceremony in October.
Ms Spirat said she was overwhelmed when she was told the program had been nominated.
“Scott and I were both nominated separately for the awards, which was a pretty amazing feeling,” she said.
“Once we realised we both received nominations, it seemed natural to celebrate the program as a whole.”
They then had to choose the best matched category for their program and selected “community engagement”.
“We try to focus on building on what our students already know,” Mr Gunn said.
“Most of our kids have their own bands and write their own music, so it is all about supporting them and showcasing their talents wherever possible.”
If the program was to receive the first place prize of $20,000 the teachers plan to use it to create VET and TAFE courses for the students.
“We really want to bring those kind of opportunities to our students,” Ms Spirat said.
“In addition are trying to upgrade our recording equipment and hope to have a professional recording studio for the children.”
