I would like to congratulate all winners of the 2021 Queensland College of Teachers TEACHX Awards.

Two Queensland Catholic school teachers were among six winners announced at the TEACHX Awards presentation ceremony on Thursday which celebrated the extraordinary contributions of registered Queensland teachers from all schooling sectors.

Ariel Hsu-Chia Chen received the Excellence in Beginning to Teach Award, while Elyse Johnston was awarded the Outstanding Contribution to School Community Award.

Ariel teaches Chinese at St James College, Fortitude Valley, where 62 per cent of students speak English as an additional language. Ariel has been changing the way languages are taught, with great results. Read her story here.

Elyse teaches Visual Arts and Drama at St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane.  She is involved in a wide range of social justice programs at the school. Her work has focused on using art to inspire advocacy and raise awareness. Read more about Elyse’s work here.

Find out more about all this year’s award winners and finalists on the Queensland College of Teachers website here.