Educator Award

Kate Mullin Educator Award 2024

The winner of the 2024 Kate Mullin Educator Award is Ellie Penrose of Strelley Community School near Port Hedland.  Ellie is pictured here on screen at the WATESOL AGM receiving her award.  She is on the left with her Principal, Jo Webb.  Presenting the award at the AGM is KMA vice chair Beverly Burnside.

Ellie has shown a clear commitment to fostering a culture of reading and writing among students, many of whom initially struggled with literacy. A particular strength of Ellie is her ability to identify students’ individual learning needs and tailor her teaching methods accordingly. Through innovative teaching practices, targeted interventions, and a deep understanding of individual learning needs, Ellie has not only raised the literacy standards but has also inspired a love of reading and learning in her students.

All Ellie’s students are Aboriginal and have English as an additional language or dialect.  Her class library includes many books by Aboriginal writers, and students enjoy reading them.  For writing Ellie focuses on her students’ experiences close to home, for example recounts of fishing trips, information reports on animals found on country, and procedures of making hunting tools. This shows students that culture is valued at school, and that writing is applicable to their personal lives.

Students’ family members are welcome in the classroom at any time. Whenever they visit Ellie encourages students to show their families work samples or read a book to them. This is to help families feel included in the learning process. Knowing they are welcome at school helps build trust and a line of communication with families.