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Vanessa Hill
​Aspley Special School

Picture
Every student in Vanessa Hill’s Aspley Special School Year 11 class has a post-school pathway mapped out for them, leading them to either paid employment, work experience, or accessing various service programs.

The “fantastic advocate for her students” has created positive partnerships with external stakeholders and service providers to benefit the Year 11s. She has also set up parent and carer information sessions with these organisations to help families and their children.
​
Each of Vanessa’s students has accessed Community Based Instruction activities to prepare them for post-school life.
Aspley Special School Head of Department Kath McDonald says once students have been in Vanessa’s class they, or their parents, often request that Vanessa continues to be their teacher after the school year ends.

“Vanessa has created extremely positive relationships with students, parents and colleagues,” Kath says.

“She is a respected teacher to her colleagues and is often approached for ideas and support, due to her innovative and thoughtful approach.”

Vanessa has students with intellectual disabilities, physical impairments and autism spectrum disorder in her class and has redesigned her classroom to allow students to better self-regulate their behaviour so that they are ready to learn.

“By creating a classroom that is safe and supportive, Vanessa has a great rapport with her students and ensures that all students are participating in learning,” Kath says.

“The learning in Vanessa's class is always engaging and valuable for her students and their abilities,” she says.

Vanessa’s introduction of the SeeSaw app to capture Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement information, and boost parent communication, has led to its schoolwide use and a unique partnership—including the sharing of resources— with a local special school on a similar journey with the app.

Vanessa has also led the implementation of realigning a student’s Planning Alternate Tomorrow’s with Hope (PATH) with the student’s Senior Education and Training (SET) plan and Queensland Certificate of Individual Achievement goals in Year 11 and 12.

“The best contribution Vanessa has made this year is around her ability to realign the Senior Secondary school priorities to ensure student learning is individualised and relevant,” Kath says.
​
Congratulations Vanessa on your achievement.
Queensland College of Teachers
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​Toowong Qld 4066
Call (07) 3377 4777
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  • Home
  • TEACHX AWARDS
    • 2019 TEACHX Winners
    • 2019 TEACHX Finalists
    • 2019 TEACHX Nominees >
      • Beginning to Teach Award Nominees 2019
      • 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
  • Anxiety and trauma―an expert’s advice