The PSA is proud to announce the NSW winner of the National SAS Staff Team of the Year Award.
Congratulations to the SAS Staff at Quakers Hill High School!
And Congratulations a second time to Quakers Hill High School who took out our federal union, the CPSU SPSF, prize for National SAS Team of the Year!
The PSA Assistant General Secretary was out at the school to celebrate with the team today during SAS Staff Recognition Week.
There were more than 130 nominations from across NSW for the award with many amazing stories shared by those nominating, but the nomination by the Deputy Principal at Quakers Hill High School of the SAS Staff there the union values of fairness, equality and solidarity are strong in the team.
The warmth and respect that the school community has for the SAS Staff shone through so clearly in the nomination, it really stood out.
Read the nomination for Quakers Hill High School:
A NSW DoE strategic initiative is for every child in every school to be known, valued and cared about. At Quakers Hill High School the SAS staff ensure that every child is known, cared about, loved, encouraged, cajoled or ordered to be the best that they can be. Their patience is endless and their cheer and kindness are inspiring to see with several of them telling me (as Deputy Principal) that instead of a uniform detention they wanted to take the non-uniform wearers on a picnic.
They approach all of their many and varied tasks with meticulous care, enormous administrative and organisational skill and they are always eager to seek advice, feedback and to ensure that they are getting things right according to policy, procedure and what the school, staff and students need. I was particularly impressed with how well they worked together at the advent of LMBR which had the potential to place many of our SAS staff under significant strain. From the outset they worked together to adopt a problem-solving stance and all issues were approached collaboratively and positively. No one was left to work out a solution alone and good humour and cheer prevailed despite the initial pressures.
At all meetings and professional learning sessions they are always ready and eager to participate and prepared to do whatever is necessary to get the job done. They meet regularly and are critically reflective performers who understand the extent to which they impact actual and perceived school culture. They are always looking for ways to improve not only their own job performance but the school as a whole – in areas such as reporting, appearance, safety, overall communication and child protection procedures. They share knowledge and they build each other’s capacity. At various times throughout the year when one or another of them are besieged by the particular demands of their delineated roles they will take over parts of role statements and share the front desk, attendance rolls and so on.
Their common sense, good humour, transparency and readiness to talk honestly and openly is beneficial to all members of our school.
Haven’t sent us your SAS Staff Recognition Week pictures yet?