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Picture






Helen Mullins

Harristown State High School

An inspirational Toowoomba teacher described as the pinnacle of Dance Education leadership in Queensland has been nominated for a state teaching award.

Harristown State High School (HSHS) Head of Department for the Arts Helen Mullins has dedicated endless hours to producing annual events including drama productions, the school musical and award-winning rock eisteddfods.

She is the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority State Panel Chair for Dance, and the leader of the expert writing team reviewing the new senior Dance Syllabus.

This year she has been nominated for a Queensland College of Teachers Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning Award.

Helen says she feels blessed to be in a position working with such fantastic people, and rates extra-curricular activities as very important for Arts students.

“What’s the point of teaching kids to become dancers or actors or artists if they don’t actually get to present their work?” she says.  “I love what I do in the classroom, I love getting to teach kids because every day is a new, creative day.” 

Students at HSHS are invited to participate in Arts Day, which Helen describes as “sports day for the arts”, where they showcase their own work including photography, films and visual art, as well as presenting vocal, instrumental, dance and drama performances.

Helen was inspired to the profession by her dance teachers at MacGregor State High School, and went on to be one of the first teachers in Queensland to have a university degree in dance and education.

She shares her knowledge and  teaching experience of more than 25 years with colleagues by leading professional development at dance conferences and being involved as an executive team member of the Ausdance Educators Network Queensland.

Helen’s colleague Timothy Reuther says Helen is widely respected and valued for her leadership within her department and the region, and “is at the pinnacle of leadership for Dance Education in Queensland”.

“She leads by example and her staff greatly value her role as leader, supporter and mentor,” he says.  

HSHS principal Kenneth Green says Helen’s commitment to excellence within her classes, faculty, school and state, and her leadership at a state level “is exemplary and admirable”.

Finalists in the Queensland College of Teachers Excellence in Teaching Awards will be revealed on October 5, with the winners announced in an awards ceremony on October 27, the night before World Teachers’ Day is celebrated in Australia.

Story by Jessica Schwilk

Queensland College of Teachers
Level 5, 601 Coronation Drive
​Toowong Qld 4066
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  • Home
    • TEACHX AWARDS >
      • Beginning to Teach Award Nominees 2019
      • 2019 TEACHX Winners
      • 2019 TEACHX Finalists
      • 2019 TEACHX Nominees >
        • OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY AWARD NOMINEES 2019
        • Excellence in Teaching Award Nominees 2019
        • Innovation in Teaching Award Nominees 2019
        • Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning Award Nominees 2019
        • Outstanding Contribution to Teaching Award Nominees 2019
  • Teacher Stories
    • Teaching graduates meet tough standards
    • Rachel Downie
    • The importance of teachers
    • Marsden State High School has the answer to keeping beginning teachers in the classroom
    • Exceptional support for early career teachers in Far North Queensland
    • QBECT
    • 2018 Awards >
      • 2018 Winners
      • 2018 Finalists
      • 2018 Nominees >
        • Excellence in Beginning to Teach Award
        • Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning Award
        • Excellence in Teaching Award
        • Outstanding Contribution to Teaching Award
        • Outstanding Contribution to School Community Award
    • 2017 Awards >
      • 2017 Winners
      • 2017finalists
      • 2017 nominees >
        • Excellence in Beginning to Teach
        • Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning
        • Excellence in Teaching
        • Outstanding Contribution to Teaching
    • 2016 Awards >
      • Excellence in Beginning to Teach
      • Excellent Leadership in Teaching and Learning
      • Excellence in Teaching
      • Outstanding Contribution to Teaching
    • HAT and LT >
      • Meet the Assessors
      • Ruth Graham
      • Tracey Peden
      • Helen and Dwayne
      • Carly Sopronick
      • Jessica Roberts
      • Jessica Roth
    • OAM >
      • Kathryn George, OAM
      • Keith Graham, OAM
      • Dr Judith Grimes, OAM
      • Michael Goodwin, OAM
      • Steve Parle, OAM
      • Dr Lyn Bishop, OAM
      • Dr Catherine Day, OAM
    • Taryn Gollshewsky
    • Vanuatu
    • NAIDOC >
      • NAIDOC Week 2017
      • NAIDOC Week 2016
    • QLD Day >
      • Bundaberg East State School
      • St Catherine's Catholic College
      • Mornington Island State School
      • Queensland Week 2016
    • ANZAC
  • Claire Cummins
  • Anxiety and trauma―an expert’s advice