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Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Page: 1489

Mr SIMPKINS (Cowan) (09:42): Last Friday, I visited Hudson Park Primary School in the suburb of Girraween in the electorate of Cowan to wish the year 6 and year 7 students all the best for 2012. I thank Principal Paul Andrijich for the opportunity to speak with the two senior classes. I have spoken about Hudson Park Primary School in the House of Representatives and I would like to express my admiration for the great work that the leadership team has done in all of the years that I have been visiting the school. Iconic and long-term former principal Doug Grasso was a local legend and highly respected by the wider school community. Immediate past principal Anne Napolitano continued the positive nature of the school. Now the school is in the hands of a new principal, Paul Andrijich; long-term deputy Elaine Hill; and deputy principal Julie Waller. I am confident that the great work at Hudson Park will continue.

The students at Hudson Park Primary School have many countries of origin. There are many Vietnamese students. There are students from Burma, Africa and many other places around the world. The school is able to bring together these different cultures and create an excellent learning environment for all the students. The school is in my view defined very well by its motto: 'Harmony, persistence and success'. The achievement of a strong education for all the students has been produced by a dedicated school community consisting of highly motivated administrators, dedicated teaching staff, supportive parents and keen students.

When I visited Hudson Park Primary School, I was met by head boy, Neil Soriano, and head girl, Paris James. They are great examples of the students at the school. I mentioned before the dedicated teaching staff. I have spoken with a number of teachers there over my many visits to the school. On this visit, I also thanked the excellent teachers Melanie Chapman and Vince Cardenia, teachers of the two year 6 and year 7 split classes. The children were very well behaved and I greatly enjoyed my talk with them, the questions that they asked and the interactions that we had. I took the opportunity to speak with the year 6 and year 7 students because I wanted them to know that I have great faith in them and that I also have faith in our nation. In Australia, we have a nation that allows them great opportunities. Those opportunities exist regardless of where they came from. The point is that Australia is different to almost every one of their countries of origin in that regard. I reminded them that society does not owe them success but if they want to work hard and commit to being the best person they can then they would be certain of achieving well. Girrawheen is a suburb in Cowan that is more challenged than most. It faces lower socioeconomic circumstances than other places. But that is no reason for these young people not to believe in themselves. No-one should believe themselves unlucky and no-one should believe that their future is limited just because they live in a certain suburb. The only thing that can limit these young students at Hudson Park Primary School is a lack of belief in themselves. I have faith in them and their futures and I hope they also have faith and confidence in themselves.