A Wollongong teacher has been recognised for her tireless efforts in supporting students experiencing disadvantage at a prestigious national teaching awards last week.
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Working at Warrawong High School for the past two decades, Nisrine Hijazi supports students who have arrived in Australia with little to no English, some with trauma due to displacement and war.
"I work closely with displaced students from the Congo, Syria, Iraq, Burundi and Burma to help them feel safe and comfortable here," the English as an Additional Language and Dialect teacher said.
"Many of the students have received no formal education prior to arriving in Australia. Many are also struggling with trauma linked to what they have experienced and witnessed in their birth countries.
"Seeing them reach their aspirations and achieve their goals, and go on to have further education or work opportunities is the most rewarding part."
Coming to Australia with her parents from Lebanon in the late 1980s, Ms Hijazi said she remembers the struggle of learning a second language firsthand.
As the school's wellbeing lead, she worked closely with The Smith Family during the pandemic to provide 60 students with laptops and internet dongles to access learning remotely.
Ms Hijazi has also been recognised for her tireless work to establish strong links with external agencies across the Illawarra to foster equal opportunities for students and their families.
"We make sure students have the opportunity to participate in programs that will help develop their goals and give them opportunities to prosper in and out of school," she said.
"We're also in the process of establishing a wellbeing hub at the school. The library will be restructured to have lots of little offices.
"We'll have a wellbeing nurse and other agencies that will be able to come in and meet with families to provide support for students."
She is one of two teachers nationally to receive The Smith Family-National Excellence in Teaching Awards (NEiTA) accolade for Powering Potential as well as a $10,000 professional development grant.
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Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
