Teaching Excellence Awards

Three outstanding educators were recognised with Excellence in Teaching Awards at the recent annual Independent Schools of NZ (ISNZ) conference in Queenstown.
The conference theme Reach for the Sky was presented at the conference opening by Queenstown-Lakes District Mayor, Clive Geddes and witnessed by 175 delegates.
The awards, presented annually since 2005, celebrated the exceptional performance of Jill Pears of Selwyn House School, Christchurch; Catherine Syms of Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland; and Dr Jan Giffney of St Cuthbert’s College, Auckland.
Jill Pears was awarded the 2010 University of Cambridge International Examinations/ISNZ Excellence in Teaching Award for Exceptional Professional Performance Years 0-6. She is Selwyn House School’s ICT Lead Teacher whose particular expertise in the use of educational robotics is recognised in NZ and overseas.
Catherine Syms (2010 Distinction/ISNZ Excellence in Teaching Award for Exceptional Performance Years 7-10) is Diocesan School’s Director of Religious Studies and a passionate advocate for the place of modern religious studies at the core of a holistic educational curriculum. She is also President of NZ Association of Religious Education Teachers and School Chaplains and has led professional training seminars in Australia and NZ.
Recipient of the 2010 Spacific Yearbooks/ISNZ Excellence in Teaching Award for Exceptional Professional Performance Years 11-13 was Dr Jan Giffney, Head of Science Faculty at St Cuthbert’s College. Dr Giffney, whose career has spanned both university and secondary school teaching, was recognised for her contribution to St Cuthbert’s new chemistry curriculum, the writing of unit and achievement standards, external examinations, as well as the writing of a Year 13 chemistry textbook and scholarship workbook.
ISNZ executive director, Deborah James, says the awards have once again highlighted the high esteem, in which outstanding teachers within the independent schools sector are held.
“Our conference could not have opened on a more positive note with this awards ceremony. The outstanding calibre of this year’s recipients set an extremely up-beat and collegial tone for the event. The teaching professionals were an inspiration to us all”, she said.