Morialta Citizenship Awards

The Hon. J.A.W. GARDNER (Morialta—Minister for Education) (15:55): It is a great privilege for me to be able to work with schools across South Australia as minister, but in my local area, since becoming the member for Morialta, I have particularly appreciated the way that schools in Morialta have engaged with me as the local member in presenting citizenship awards so that the work, the great achievements and the role modelling displayed by some of the outstanding young people—children and young adults in our schools—can be appreciated. I give them a book voucher or a cheque (depending on the wishes of the school) and a nice certificate. I am very pleased to go and meet these fine young people who work in our schools, and it is a real privilege. I know that many members of parliament do similar things, and I am sure that they share with me in that joy.

Of course, one of the things I like to do is give a speech every year at around this time commemorating for the permanent record and the posterity of the parliament in Hansard, and hopefully to the pride of their families, the achievements of these outstanding young South Australians. The Morialta Citizenship Award winners for 2020 have come from 18 different schools. Their involvement in school and community has been varied, and I will touch on some of that later.

For the record, to start with, from Athelstone School, congratulations to Cael Fay. From the Basket Range Primary School, the winner was Callum Kinchington. From Birdwood High School, congratulations to Braeoni Jane Browning. From Charles Campbell College, Rita Cui was the senior winner and Amer Sibai was the middle-years winner—that is possibly the other way around.

From Domino Servite College, congratulations to Benjamin Czudek and Heidi Trinkle. From Gumeracha Primary School, congratulations to Dylan Martin and Milan Mik. I share a presentation every year with the member for Newland as Highbury Primary School actually sits on the border of the electorate. The oval is in Newland and the school buildings are in Morialta. They get an award, though, and congratulations to Charlotte Bland and Isla McGraw. From Lenswood Primary, congratulations to Grace Trost. From Lobethal Lutheran School, Oliver Brown was the winner. From Lobethal Primary School, Sam Kelman and Tilly Selwood shared the award.

From Norton Summit Primary School, congratulations to Mia Playford and Luke Stevens. Members will not be surprised to learn that this is not the first time a Playford has won the award from the Norton Summit Primary School. There is, of course, some precedent for their citizenship involvement. From Norwood Morialta High School, congratulations to Sirisha Jagan Mohan Kajur, and from the middle school at Norwood Morialta High School, congratulations to Rubaica Khan. From Oakbank Area School, Darcy Lucas was the winner and from Rostrevor College, it was Oscar Klose.

From Thorndon Park Primary School, congratulations to Bianca Calabrese. At one of the biggest primary schools in my electorate—probably one of the biggest primary schools in the state—at Stradbroke School, the school split it into an award for each of the five classes. So congratulations to Nikhita Arunachalam, Gabrielle De Rosa, William Moulden, Hannah Polgase and Thomas Searston. These young men and women are worthy recipients. They are role models to their classes and to the young people in their schools. It is a great privilege to be able to pay credit to their service.

That service can take many forms. Some of them had leadership roles within the schools as house captains or SRC representatives. Some of them mentored, tutored or coached sports for younger students. Involvement in SAPSASA athletics, football, cricket, soccer and netball was included. Many volunteered time, whether in the library or the sports shed or the canteen or the classrooms or, in some cases, all of the above.

One of the students at Athelstone School, I think it was, started a Dungeons and Dragons club at the school, which sounds like fun for an individual, but of course it builds community across the school and brought in a range of other young people who might have shared that interest and gave them somewhere extra to belong.

A commitment to music programs, bands and choirs was prevalent in a number, and many participated in special causes, such as men's mental health or Camp Quality, environmental programs and the CFS. Many raised money and many volunteered their time. All of them demonstrated a commitment to their community, to their school, to their state and, really importantly, to other young people, whether in their school community or people they met or by supporting causes at a national or international level.

Congratulations to the 2020 Morialta Citizenship Awards winners. I look forward to seeing the amazing things you guys are going to do in the years ahead.