Tony Zappia (Makin, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On Tuesday 26 November, I attended a high tea at Prescott Primary Northern school in my electorate to farewell Shane and Gaynor Blake and their two daughters, Mikayla and Casey, who were relocating to Brisbane.

The Blake family had migrated from South Africa 13 years ago so that Shane could take up the appointment as principal of Prescott Primary School, one of three Seventh Day Adventist Schools in Adelaide. At the time, Prescott Primary was a growing school in need of additional classrooms, office space and other resources.

Taking on the role of principal whilst simultaneously adjusting to life in Australia obviously presented Shane and his family with some significant challenges. Drawing on his Christian faith and personal attributes, and with the support of his family and school colleagues, Shane quickly settled into the local community and, under his leadership, Prescott was transformed. Today the school has 366 students, 40 per cent of whom have a language background other than English.

Under the Rudd government Prescott Primary Northern was the recipient of federal government funding assistance which, when combined with the school's finances, enabled redevelopment and building improvements that were desperately needed. I have known Shane Blake for most of the 13 years he was at the school as the principal and I have no doubt that his leadership, ability and mannerisms were critical to the many positive changes that the school has undergone. My observations were reinforced by Garry McIver, the secretary/treasurer of the South Australian Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Prescott school's representative Gavin Williams, incoming principal Mark Borresen and school council chairperson John Pring all spoke about Shane's time as principal and the difference that he had made to Prescott Primary Northern during his time there.

Of course what really matters is the difference that Shane has made as a principal to the lives of the hundreds of children who attended the school during his time there. From speaking to parents and students of Prescott, I have no doubt that Shane made a positive difference to the lives and futures of those children. Shane and Gaynor are relocating to Brisbane, where Shane will take up his new position at Northpine Christian College, which is also a Seventh-day Adventist school. I take this opportunity to thank Shane and Gaynor for their work at Prescott primary school and in the local community over the past 13 years and to wish them well in their new community. I also take this opportunity to wish Mark Borresen, the current deputy principal, well in his new role as principal of Prescott Primary Northern. I assure Mark and the Prescott school community of my continued support for them.