NSW President of the Australian College of Educators Lila Mularczyk surprised our Acting Deputy Head of School Kirsten Macaulay when she slipped into last Monday’s Professional Development Day to break some exciting news in front of school staff. Ms Mularczyk announced:
I’d like to say good morning to all my fellow education colleagues. It’s lovely to be here with you. I would like to acknowledge Brad Swibel and John Collier for helping me scheme this surprise drop-in. It’s wonderful and I can assure you Kirsten was not aware of this. I’m here to present the very prestigious NSW Dr Paul Brock Award to Kirsten Macaulay. Her citation reads as follows.
After serving as Director of Performing Arts at St Andrew’s Cathedral School bringing the disciplines of music, drama and dance into a coherent whole, Kirsten Macaulay was appointed as the school’s inaugural Director of Teaching. This new and innovative position gave Kirsten responsibility for the professional development of staff (K-12 as well as Gawura School). The position enabled her to introduce a comprehensive and integrated teaching cycle complemented by learning walks that articulated into the school’s robust system of performance feedback of staff.
Kirsten’s teaching accreditation responsibilities saw her working directly with teachers as their careers developed and they moved through various accomplishment bands. Kirsten has also led the school’s ground-breaking venture into trainee teacher education. St Andrew’s Cathedral School is part of a collaborative project with several other schools that has established a college to conduct in situ teacher training. This venture sequences teaching methodology and practicums through the award of a Bachelor of Education degree and is establishing an alternative pathway to develop emerging leaders.
Kirsten has also had an illustrious career to date. She was Head of Music at Stella Maris College and Director of Performing Arts at Shore. She is recognised as an accomplished music teacher and her expertise has led to her appointment as an HSC music supervisor of marking. Kirsten holds various professional and voluntary roles and is an advocate for the teaching profession. She is active in many professional social media networks and her commitment to the profession has been evidenced in her committee work on behalf of the Australian College of Educators. Kirsten Macaulay is a most worthy recipient of the Dr Paul Brock Memorial Medal for 2020. I’m also announcing that she is now the official secretary of NSW ACE.
Congratulations to my colleague and friend Kirsten, this is so very well deserved.
The Dr Paul Brock Memorial Medal is awarded annually by the Australian College of Educators to a prominent educational leader who has significantly impacted educational direction and achievement. This leader demonstrates the values of social justice in making a substantial contribution to evidence-informed policy, practice and research.
