Stephen gave the following speech in Parliament on the 13th November, 2019.
"I take this opportunity in parliament to speak about some of the local schools in the electorate of Morphett and some of their award-winning teaching programs. One of the important schools, not only in Park Holme but in South Australia, is Kilparrin. Kilparrin is a school for students with multiple disabilities and with hearing and/or vision impairments. The class sizes are small, with approximately six students in each class, and they have a teacher along with two or three school services officers to support the students in the classroom.
The students at Kilparrin love music. They come along to school and enjoy singing and making a lot of noise with their instruments. Their music teacher is Lucy Standish. She was instrumental in introducing a fantastic program called Music for All. The Music for All program was based on the concept of using the book Fancy Pants, which is about Australian bush animals dressing up, as inspiration to compose music. Lucy met with the book's author, Kelly Hibbert, and Kelly was also very excited.
To compose the music, world-class musicians Paul Rissmann and Belinda McFarlane and some members of the Australian Youth Orchestra came together for a four-day workshop with the students. Lucy also made connections with another important school in Morphett, the South Australian School for the Vision Impaired (SASVI), and Suneden school to position the students at the centre of the creative process. Paul Rissmann explained that each student came together with different levels of experience but with everyone participating in having a part to play in the performance.
After four days of turning Fancy Pants into a musical, the students and the Youth Orchestra held a live performance at the Marion Cultural Centre. The performance was an inspiring and emotional experience that showcased the determination and success of the students. Kilparrin principal, Cathy Roche Wells, described the musical event by saying, 'The joy that it brings the whole school community is about the students and the celebration that their families can participate in something like music with their children.'
SASVI student Cheyanne loved how everyone felt that they were contributing to the whole event. She said, 'The Australian Youth Orchestra have written the music and us adding on to it makes it sound better. I loved everything about music. You do not have to be able to see to make music.' Fellow student Anthony agreed, saying 'It makes me feel relaxed, feel myself. I like being able to hear music, to be able to play it, because I can really connect with it.' Kilparrin student Shaun summed it up best, saying 'Music makes me feel happy.'
Thank you to Lucy Standish for her fantastic work to bring this together. Cathy Roche Wells noted the musical was only possible because of Lucy's passion to form connections with Marion council, Suneden, SASVI, author Kelly Hibbert, world-class musicians Paul Rissmann and Belinda McFarlane, and the Australian Youth Orchestra. Congratulations to all the students on their part in the Music for All event. Fittingly, Lucy Standish recently won the 2019 Department for Education South Australian Community Engagement Award for this inclusive, community-based model of music education that a school on its own could not provide.
The Department of Education also recognised Glenelg Primary School's year 1 teacher Sharnie Jamieson with the Early Years Teacher of the Year award. Sharnie focuses on a direct instructional model where the focus is 'I do, we do, you do'. School principal, Rae Taggart, said the award was a reinforcement of how committed Sharnie is to learning, which is evident both to the students and the parents.
Rae Taggart has been a principal for 30 years, with the last 10 years being at Glenelg primary. To spend more time with her family, Rae decided to retire at the end of term 3. The school held a farewell function involving many people who had been involved in Rae's professional career. It was obvious, listening to students, staff and colleagues, the affection they have for her and the positive impact that she has had on the school. Acting principal, Anthony Fischer, paid tribute by saying, 'Rae would always have time for everyone. She would listen actively and carefully to families, and Rae genuinely changed children's lives every day.'
I am sure that all members of parliament would join me in thanking Rae for her commitment to education in South Australia, and we wish her and her family all the very best in her retirement."
