MARYANNE WALSH

CENTENARY Heights State High School principal Maryanne Walsh is a leader far beyond the school gates.

By clearly outlining expectations for both her students and staff, Ms Walsh has raised the behaviour and education standards of one of Toowoomba’s largest, and its most diverse, schools.

The school is proud of the cultural diversity among its ranks, with 60 nationalities working together in a model for harmony that transcends the school yard.

For 236 of the 1660 student cohort, English is a second language and 120 have a disability, diversity which is celebrated across the school’s three campuses, including its vocational TAFE program and the award-winning program at Flexi School on Chalk Drive in the CBD.

Ms Walsh speaks with conviction when she abides by her and the school’s core belief that every child deserves an education, regardless of cultural or socio-economic background, and it’s a stance that has earned her acclaim.

Recognising the pervasiveness of domestic and family violence, and the impact it has on students and in the school yard, Ms Walsh has played a proactive role raising awareness and educating her students to never stay silent, and has taken part in multi-agency community programs to break the cycle of violence.

Ms Walsh was awarded the Queensland University of Technology’s Outstanding Alumni Award for the Faculty of Education in 2016 which recognised her long-standing and leading commitment to education and engaging with the disenfranchised.

She engages directly with the disengaged and demonstrates on a personal and professional level the necessity to be part of a team to succeed, and fights for their place in society.