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Picture






Sarah Finnemore

Tagai State College, Yorke Island Campus

There’s a remote island in the Torres Strait where students attend school more, and reach higher NAPLAN benchmarks, than many of their peers in southeast Queensland.

On Saturdays students run a morning café and ice-making business to meet the needs of the fishing community while developing their own financial literacy skills.

Their teacher Sarah Finnemore is inspiring greatness on Yorke – also known as Masig – Island and this year has been nominated for a Queensland College of Teachers Excellence in Teaching Award.

For two years Sarah spent every week visiting outer islands in the Torres Strait as a literacy and numeracy coach for Tagai State College (TSC), before taking up a position on the TSC Yorke Island campus, where she has taught classes from Years 1 to 6 for the past three years.

The TSC lead teacher has demonstrated endless devotion to her students, most of whom have English as a second language, helping them to make outstanding academic gains and behavioural changes.

Her commitment extends to organising a trip to Brisbane for her Years 5 and 6 students, so they can experience mainland life and develop their entrepreneurial thinking. Many have never left the Torres Strait before.

 Sarah’s ability as a teacher is reflected in her students’ outstanding NAPLAN results with 100 per cent of her students achieving above the national minimum standard last year, and again in 2016 in all areas tested.

After working as a literacy and numeracy coach across TSC, she continues to coach and mentor colleagues throughout the Torres Strait.

She also capitalises on the unique island environment by organising learning experiences such as marine debris awareness, growing vegetables, raising chickens and holding movie nights for the students.

Despite limited internet coverage, Sarah still manages to incorporate ICT elements into her classrooms to aid an engaging and interactive learning environment.

Executive Principal Judy Ketchell says Sarah has embraced the way of life in the Torres Strait and developed positive relationships in the community.

“Sarah is an inspiration to the teaching profession.  She displays the highest standards of teaching everyday and this has resulted in outstanding educational outcomes for Masig students and community,” Judy says.  

Congratulations Sarah on your nomination.

  • Story by Joshua Pickstone
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