House debates

Wednesday, 9 August 2017

Statements by Members

Connors, Mrs Robyn

1:39 pm

Photo of Emma HusarEmma Husar (Lindsay, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I too would like to put on the record my support for the member for Warringah. I think that is the first time I have ever actually agreed with anything that he has had to say! Johno Johnson was an amazing contributor to our movement and his loss will be felt very keenly.

I rise, though, to pay tribute to Mrs Robyn Connors, an educator who had a long history of service to New South Wales public education. Robyn had been a teacher since 1974 and it is undoubtable that teaching has evolved since she began. And Mrs Robyn Connors had shown much aptitude to remain current to be able to teach across generations.

Her career gave her a lot of opportunity to travel and expose herself to country and metropolitan schools, including Werrington Public School, where she met her husband, who was teaching at nearby Londonderry Public School. Robyn had a love of teaching drama, music, science and choir. Like a lot of teachers, she did some of this during her lunch times, and before and after school. She was a passionate educator, a global thinker and a woman of enormous empathy. While she had a love of teaching all students, her light shone brightest when she was working with girls in science, introducing them to a traditionally male-dominated subject. She had a passion for working with kids and engaging those ones who needed something extra. This was her magic.

Robyn taught my own children at Blaxland Public School, and showed immense patience working with all children. Her enthusiasm for learning was contagious and inspirational. She was an activist and a campaigner, standing up for the rights of all people in the community she loved and the kids she taught, including her advocacy around Western Sydney airport. It is a true reflection on her work when 20 of her former students turned up on a Saturday and gave up their time to assemble as a choir— (Time expired)