Gordon Reid (Robertson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with great pride I stand in this chamber today to recognise and commend a spectacular career in public education in the state of New South Wales. Local Copacabana Public School teacher Sandra Way is celebrating 40 years of teaching in public education in 2024—a mighty milestone which underscores Sandra's incredible dedication to our state's public education system.

Sandra is a proud teacher, having started her career teaching between classes at Condell Park Public School and Tower Street Public School in 1980. In 1981, Sandra secured a full-time position at Cabramatta Public School, where she taught Australians from Vietnam with refugee backgrounds. Sandra gained significant insight into the ongoing impacts of war and hardship during these years. Shortly after, in 1983, Sandra was transferred to Gosford East Public School, where she taught a composite class of students with learning difficulties in year 1 and year 2. Sandra loved this class and learned how rewarding any small improvement was, particularly for a student trying to keep up with their peers. In 1984, Sandra was appointed to Copacabana Public School, where she has remained to the present time.

Sandra has seen a lot of changes since the time she first started teaching. Whether it was the transition from chalkboards to smartboards or the transition from projectors to computers, Sandra has seen it all. Forty years of teaching is a remarkable accomplishment, and, on behalf of the people of the Central Coast, I wish to thank you, Sandra, for your service and wish you all the best in the years ahead.