Teachers tune in to students’ needs
MUSIC teachers from two East Coast schools have joined forces to support each other and develop music programs that are flourishing at both schools.
Bicheno Primary School’s Eliza Spykers and St Marys District School’s secondary music teacher Nic Wardlaw received this year’s Education Department award for outstanding team.
“Nic and Eliza have built something very special from virtually nothing,” their principal network leader Shireen Thomas said.
The two teachers have been working together for about eight years, sharing expertise, bringing music tutors into their schools and giving the students from both schools opportunities to work together on music projects.
Blues musician Pete Cornelius, who went to school at St Marys, is a big part of the program, help- ing students with guitar, bass guitar, drums and recording music.
When Mrs Spykers started at Bicheno Primary the school did not have a formal music program. Now, every student at the school plays an instrument.
Mrs Spykers said the school had raised the money to buy materials and the groundsman had made several instruments.
The two teachers tap into each other’s expertise. Mr Wardlaw has helped Mrs Spykers’ students record CDs and Mrs Spykers has helped Mr Wardlaw with choral music, keyboards and arrangement.
The teachers established a combined-school 100voice choir that has worked with guest composers and tutors and performed locally and on ABC radio.
Mrs Spykers said they wanted to expand students’ interests to beyond sports, which are traditionally more popular.