The Weekly Bulli-tin
Term 3 Week 3
Public Education Week – Inspiring Excellence
Public Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary impact public education has on individuals, families and communities. It is a time to recognise the teachers, support staff, students and families who make our schools places of opportunity, connection, belonging and achievement.
My own journey through public education began at Mawarra Public School in 1980, before continuing at Elderslie High School. The photo accompanying this article is of me in Kindergarten at Mawarra, proudly sporting the slightly crooked fringe my mum cut especially for school photo day! It always makes me smile, but it also represents the beginning of a journey that has shaped my life.
At Mawarra, I discovered a love of learning nurtured by caring teachers. Some of my happiest memories are of spending hours in the school library and developing my passion for art. Those early experiences sparked a creativity and curiosity that continued throughout my education.
At Elderslie High School, I was fortunate to be taught by inspiring art and photography teachers who encouraged me to see the world differently and believe that a career in the creative arts was possible. Their encouragement led me to study visual arts teaching and pursue a career in education. Elderslie was also where I formed friendships that have lasted a lifetime. I remain best friends with people I first met in Year 7—a wonderful example of how public schools create connections that continue well beyond the classroom.
While studying at university, I was privileged to learn from two outstanding public school art educators, Betty Harper and Lila Mularczyk. Their passion, creativity and commitment to students left a lasting impression on me. Lila went on to become President of the NSW Secondary Principals’ Council, continuing her contribution to public education and leadership. These educators reinforced my belief that great teachers do more than teach—they inspire confidence, creativity and possibility.
My belief in the power of education was also shaped at home. My mum had always wanted to become a teacher herself, and although life took her in a different direction, she never lost her belief in learning and the opportunities education provides. She encouraged me to follow my passions and understand that education has the power to transform lives. Her belief in education became my own.
This year marks my 30th year working in public education. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of teaching at Mount Druitt High School, Robert Townson High School and Cecil Hills High School, before becoming Principal of Bulli High School. Each school community has shaped me and reinforced the importance of the relationships at the heart of education.
One of the greatest privileges of my career has been seeing the journeys of those I have taught and mentored. I supervised a pre-service teacher during her practicum at Mount Druitt High School, and today she is a principal herself. One of my former students has also become a school principal, and many others have chosen careers in public education as teachers, leaders and support staff. Seeing students continue the work of educating and supporting future generations is one of the most rewarding aspects of this profession.
Today, I continue to be inspired every day by my colleagues and our students. Their curiosity, creativity, resilience and optimism remind me why public education matters. They challenge us to keep learning, improving and believing in what is possible.
Public education has also remained an important part of my family’s story. My nieces and nephews attended Mawarra Public School and Elderslie High School. It was incredibly special when my niece became Vice Captain at Mawarra, exactly 30 years after I held the same role. Later, my nephew proudly became Captain at Elderslie High School. Seeing the next generation embrace the same schools and opportunities highlights the lasting impact of public education across families and communities.
This year’s theme, Inspiring Excellence, reminds us that excellence is found in every teacher who encourages a student, every staff member who creates a supportive environment, every colleague who shares their knowledge and every student who inspires us to become better educators.
Celebrating Public Education Week - Mrs Jo Douglas
On my first day of Kindergarten, I was already used to change. My father served in the Royal Australian Navy, and we moved every few years, so I attended four primary schools across three states and two high schools. Every single one was a public school. With each new setting, I found comfort in two constants: the teachers and the library. Without fail, every teacher welcomed me with kindness, patience and generosity. They fed my curiosity, encouraging my imagination and challenging my skills. The librarians quickly became confidantes and collaborators, allowing me to quietly sneak out one or two extra books, providing me initially with a safe space to settle into a new environment, then somewhere to nurture friendships and develop a passion for literature.
I truly believe that it was these staff members who inspired me to become a teacher myself. They embodied the very best of public education, showing me what was possible and encouraging me to pursue my goals with confidence. They modelled excellence, dedication and genuine care, guiding and challenging us to grow into thoughtful, critical thinkers prepared to contribute to, and question, the world around us. Today, I see the same excellence in the dedicated staff at Bulli High School. They are shaping our students’ futures with the same commitment and passion. I am, and always will be, a proud public school educator.
Mrs Jo Douglas
Deputy Principal
Public Education Week - Inspiring Excellence
I still remember the classrooms at Ruse Public School back in the mid-'80s. They seemed enormous, with a chalkboard the length of the room and a wet area at the back to clean up after covering ourselves with paint. The atrium that joined all of the classrooms together and the excitement when those big doors opened and we were able to sit on the green carpet with mates from other classes and work together.
I remember spending the majority of our lunch breaks debating the fairness of the touch footy teams or deciding who was going to jump the neighbour's fence to collect the ball hit over during a game of cricket, rather than actually playing. After school we'd decide whose house we would visit to play. The one with the pool, the one with the best driveway for cricket, the one near the footy field or the shops. Mates from all walks of life, drawn together by our local school. It was a great community, and it was public education working exactly as it should.
Public education gave me more than a great foundation for friendships and learning. It gave me a fair go. It taught me that opportunity shouldn't depend on your postcode or your parents' payslip, and that a good teacher can change the trajectory of a student's life regardless of where they started. That, to me, is what Inspiring Excellence really means. Not chasing a narrow definition of success, but supporting every student to learn, grow, thrive, and reach their full potential, whatever that looks like for them.
What also stands out is the dedication of the teachers that I had along the way and the ones I've since worked alongside. Our teachers have a way of noticing a spark of interest, wherever it shows up, and building something around it. A student curious about robotics, drawn to debating, or quietly gifted at music finds someone willing to open a door for them, often well beyond what any job description asks for. That passion, the extra hour before school, the willingness to run a club for three interested kids, the belief that every interest is worth nurturing is Inspiring Excellence in action, and we see it every day here at Bulli.
Public Education Week is a chance to reflect on what makes this system worth celebrating, a genuine commitment to every student in every classroom regardless of their circumstances. The results speak for themselves, but it is the belief that every child deserves a fair shot at achieving them that sets public education apart.
Mr Michael Lane
Deputy Principal
Address: Dharawal Country, 17 Ursula Road, Bulli NSW 2516
Phone: 4284 8266
Email: bulli-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au
Website: https://bulli-h.schools.nsw.gov.au/