NSW MINISTER'S AND SECRETARY'S AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

Ms JODIE HARRISON(Charlestown)Schools across the Hunter did very well in this year's NSW Minister's and Secretary's Awards for Excellence and I would like to offer my congratulations to recipients in the Charlestown electorate. Joshua Levin, a year 12 student at Whitebridge High, won the Minister's Award for Excellence in Student Achievement, and told the Newcastle Herald he was shocked but stoked to be recognised in the awards. Congratulations, Joshua, and I wish you all the best for the HSC.

Hunter Sports High principal Rachel Byrne received the Secretary's Award for Excellent Service, a fantastic acknowledgment of the extraordinary work Rachel has done at Hunter Sports High and very well deserved. Charlestown South Public received the Secretary's School Achievement Awards. The staff and community have flourished under the leadership of principal Colin Johnson. These awards, which thank teachers, leaders, support staff and parents for making a difference to the lives of students, are especially important in 2020. In this very challenging year, school staff, students and communities have had to adapt to unprecedented circumstances. I congratulate all recipients across the Hunter and the State.

A Community Recognition Statement is an opportunity for an MP to give a short speech praising the work of an individual or group in the local community. If you have any ideas about people I can recognise with a Community Recognition Statement, please email and let me know!