By Dongyun Kwon
Two locals were honoured by the Healesville Rotary Club’s Pride of Workmanship Award.
Kelly Laidlaw, a Grade 5/6 teacher at Healesville Primary School, and Shelli Johanson, a customer relations officer at Bendigo Community Bank Healesville, received the award on Thursday 10 October.
At the awards night, Healesville Rotary Club president Sally Piper briefly explained the history of the Pride of Workmanship Award.
Ms Piper said the award provides an opportunity for employers to recognise employees who demonstrate outstanding qualities and commitment to their role in the workplace.
“The award is an Australian initiative. It was launched as a Rotary project in June 1975,” she said.
“The aim was to encourage a much-needed pride in personal performance in the workplace and to help create a national attitude for the benefit of our country.
“The first Pride of Workmanship Award was presented in Healesville in 2015 and has been awarded to 11 awardees since then.”
Ms Laidlaw was nominated by Healesville Primary School principal Tracey Robertson-Smith for Pride of Workmanship Award.
The award recipient said she didn’t know about the nomination.
“She had called me and let me know. It was such a shock and was such an honour as well,” she said.
“I do love Healesville Primary School to be recognised as well.”
Ms Robertson-Smith explained why she nominated Ms Laidlaw at the awards night.
“Kelly didn’t get chosen for Pride of Workmanship just because of her teaching. Kelly is very active in the community as well,” the principal said.
“She is a passionate advocate for all things local, schools, community groups and sports. She is a coach for our women’s football team and team manager of the Healesville Soccer Club.
“We have been convinced that Kelly has shown Pride of Workmanship in her teaching and has demonstrated her love of Healesville in community service above and beyond her paid job.”
Kelly Laidlaw has been teaching in Healesville Primary School since 2018 after she worked for her first posting Marnebek School in Cranbourne for about two years.
“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. My mum said when I was little, I used to have my blackboard and chalk, and taught my teddies,” she said.
Her journey as a teacher started when she was 25 and went on to La Trobe University for an education degree.
“While studying, I worked with kids with disabilities as a disability support worker in my first year in Bendigo,” Ms Laidlaw said.
Before she started university, she travelled to Scotland and Europe, working as a waitress and in customer service where she could confirm her dream of being a teacher once again.
“My parents are from Scotland and they came over [to Australia] when I was one,” the teacher said.
“I just wanted to know why [my parents moved to Australia] and meet all my family.”
Over the last six years, Ms Laidlaw experienced different positions in Healesville Primary School, teaching physical education, performing arts and Grade 2 students and is now teaching Grade 5/6 students as well as supporting students who need additional help in mathematics every Tuesday as numeracy leader.
Besides teaching local students, the teacher has been involved in local sports for a long time.
She was a member of the Healesville women’s footy team in 2019 when the team won the flag and won the premiership this year as a soccer player for Healesville Soccer Club this year.
“My partner Kyle is the coach for the U-9 and I’m the team manager. My two boys play with them, and I play for the women’s team,” Ms Laidlaw said.
“I’ve been [in Healesville] for 10 years now. I just love how everyone in the community is so caring and looking out for each other.
“It’s like the community in our school as well. Everyone is connected and caring as well.”
Star Mail will introduce the other award recipient Shelli Johanson next week.
