Last night I had the opportunity in Parliament to celebrate the legacy of Dr Sharon Parkes, the recently retired Principal of Warners Bay High School. This is what I said in my community recognition statement:



I offer my best wishes to Dr Sharon Parkes, the recently retired principal of Warners Bay High School in my electorate of Charlestown. Dr Parkes has devoted 47years of her life to educating thousands of our children. She served as a school principal for 24 years, of which the last 14 were at the helm of Warners Bay High School.

One of the qualities that I admire most about Dr Parkes is her ability to build strong relationships and teams. I believe we can all learn from her example.

Thankfully, the electorate of Charlestown is wonderfully diverse. This is reflected in the school that Dr Parkes has ably led, in which she has welcomed everyone. I am proud that the school is widely regarded as a high achiever across academic, sporting and cultural arenas.

Despite retiring from her role as principal, Dr Parkes is hardly putting her feet up to take it easy. She is a life member of the New South Wales Secondary Principals' Council and is currently in Shanghai, where she will be a keynote speaker at the International Confederation of Principals Convention.

Iwish Dr Parkes a wonderful retirement and, on behalf of the people of my electorate, I thank her for her legacy.