Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to acknowledge and celebrate all schools in my electorate which are currently inducting their school leaders for 2014. To be elected as school captain, vice-captain or prefect is a tremendous honour and I congratulate those students who have been elected to such important leadership roles.

I recently had the opportunity to attend Lambton High School's investiture of prefects on Tuesday, 18 February. This event was especially significant for me—I was returning to Lambton High School, the very place that I was elected school captain, albeit many years ago now. I would like to thank the principal, Martin Rosser, for the invitation to attend and I want to put on record my congratulations to the following student leaders: captains, Stephanie Hough and Develka Gunasekera; vice-captains, Isabel Williams and Michael Garrett; senior prefects, Sophie Parente and James Wood; and prefects, Marlee Byrnes, Jonathan Catt, Madeline Cordingley, Kyle Farquharson, Sarah Jeffrey, Jonathan Gardiner, Mikenzie McManus, Elijah Fraser, Nathasha Robards and Joseph Popov.

I first had the pleasure of meeting Joseph at the launch of the National Disability Insurance Scheme in Newcastle last year. Joseph is a wheelchair user and, not being one to shy away from sharing his opinion, enjoyed the opportunity of meeting the former Prime Minister to talk about his hopes for the NDIS. I have no doubt that Joseph and all the school leaders inducted for 2014 will be strong advocates for their school communities. I look forward to working together with them both now and in the future.