Adjournment Debate

Hartley Electorate Schools

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (15:37): I rise to acknowledge and congratulate many of the hardworking students, parents and teachers of the schools in my electorate. I point out that, in recent times, I have met with every one of those schools and, in fact, I have been able to bring them into this place to take them through the house and to learn a little bit about what they are doing at the moment and how we can help, and it has been a fantastic opportunity to do those things.

Hartley has some of the best performing public schools and private schools in South Australia, and these sorts of standards could not have occurred without the dedication and hard work of the teachers—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Will members please move out of the house if they are not remaining for the adjournment debate.

Mr TARZIA: —over a number of years. The result of this has been the education of our future leaders, be they in politics or in many, many other industries. I would like to list some of the names of some of the staff and students who I have visited at their schools and who, in turn, I have invited into parliament to better appreciate the quality of our schools within the electorate, as well as showcase what we can do together as a community. I think that it is incumbent upon us to shepherd the next generation of leaders to give them the best opportunity that they have to succeed.

Recently, I was fortunate enough to take students from St Joseph's Tranmere through Parliament House. I met with the principal, Clare Nocko, and two senior students, Lucinda Hale and Nicholas Reu. They have a wonderful future ahead of them and I am very proud to say so.

I was fortunate to bring to Parliament House East Torrens Primary School's principal, Gael Little, as well as two of the students, Angel Manzella and Denis Pjetri, and likewise with East Marden Primary School, a school that has been in the media in recent times because it is a great school with great NAPLAN standards, but it can be much better. It is about time that this government gave East Marden Primary School especially what it deserves. There are facilities at that school that are certainly in much need of upgrade. I am lobbying hand in hand with the students and parents of the school and their community to make sure that East Marden Primary School gets the upgrades that it deserves.

It was wonderful to bring in the principal, Lana Dubrowsky, and the assistant principal, Phillipa Arbuckle, and to recently meet with their governing council, a very passionate governing council who are fantastic ambassadors for the school community and obviously want the school to thrive in the future. It was also great to recently host students Grace Builder, Jonty Schmaal, Lirui Sun, Finn Boylen, Olivia Mulvany, Jessie Harrip, Abdullah Tahir, Nikita Boldyrev.

Then there was St Joseph's Payneham, on the border of my electorate. It was wonderful to bring them in recently. Again, it is a school, from many years ago, that has come a long way in terms of student enrolments. It is absolutely flourishing and thriving, and it is fantastic to see. It was wonderful to speak with the principal, Laurie Sammut, and the deputy principal, Ingrid Douventzidis, and students Melissa Busato, Alana Iannace, Lara DiGirolami, Apostle Broikos and Adriano Caiazza.

Furthermore, from Norwood Morialta Senior High School, it was wonderful to be able to bring in the principal and some of the staff and students. The principal, Panayoula Parha, has been there for many years now and has been a fantastic advocate for the school, and she has certainly been a very strong icon at that school who continues to achieve great results. It was also wonderful to see the staff present that day.

Felixstow Community School is a beautiful school in my electorate. We have recently been able to successfully lobby the local council in that area—the Norwood Payneham and St Peter's council—to upgrade some line marking and signage. I look forward to seeing that take place in the coming days. It is an absolutely adorable little school. They do things a little bit differently. They are very diverse. You always get a fantastic feel when you go there. I thank the principal, Jen Bais, and the students I was fortunate enough to bring into this place: Evie Elliot, Kasmir Kellermann-Williams and Courtney Oswald. Magill Primary School is another great school that has flourished and grown from strength to strength over the years and is doing extremely well. It was absolutely marvellous to recently bring in their principal, Di Fletcher, and students Emeri Barnes and James Adler.

I just want to sum up by saying that it is wonderful to be able to bring in students. What you realise is that they grow up very quickly and that they really are the future leaders of tomorrow. Our SRC reps, our student leaders in these schools, are our future leaders of tomorrow. I think it is incumbent upon us as leaders in our community to do everything we can to ensure that their schools become the best that they can, that they have the best learning environment to grow up in. As the member for Hartley, I will always advocate as passionately and as strongly as I can to make sure that we make our schools the best that they can be for our children and our young adults.