Thank you for your story about Bryce Fullwood (NT News 14/6) and the successes he is having as a supercar driver. Bryce was a student at Leanyer Primary School during my years as a teacher at the same establishment. It is inspiring to read of the successes he is having as a maturing driver on car racing circuits.

One of the joys for teachers and principals is seeing and appreciating the development of students like Bryce. I have had the joy of working with many hundreds of past students who, like Bryce Fullwood, are making good and contributing positively to the world. Some are sportspeople, others are into commence, business and academia while a significant number, like myself (in the 1970’s) have opted into the teaching profession.

One of the reflective satisfactions of being an educator is to know how successfully those you once taught, have transitioned into adulthood, making a wonderful success of their lives, contributing so positively to their community and the world

I read in here with the alarm of what is happening at the Tennant Creek High School. Without doubt there needs to be intervention in a hurry with Assistance being given to support teachers and students.

I believe that the Department of Education should look at engaging Adam Drake and his Balanced Choice team to undertake interventionist work.

Adam and his team have been instrumental in working to overcome situations of discord and conflict. They are highly skilled in negotiation and in sorting out issues in a way that causes people to recognise their part in things that need to be rectified.

I would recommend the engagement of Adam and his team to help defuse the situation and to permanently resolving issues at Tennant Creek.

Darwin’s “Frying Nemo” is undisputedly the very best fish and chippery I have ever patronised. Situated on the picturesque deck overlooking the Tipperary Waters marina in a picture perfect setting, the establishment offers the very best in terms of seafood options and beverage choice. It’s beverage licence enables the consumption of alcohol without food purchase, but liquor must be consumed on the premises.

It is hard to understand why anyone would want to drink without ordering from ‘Frying Nemo’s’ extensive and sumptuous menu which can be accessed online or at the premises. The variety of seafood along with support side dishes is the very best on offer.

Take away orders placed by phone are part of the service. If nominating a pick-up time, customers can be 100% guaranteed their orders will be there and ready for collection on the dot.

Proprietor Eddie Willoughby-Smith is an extraordinary and empathetic host. He carefully oversees every operational aspect of the business but without cramping his well trained and highly efficient cooking staff. Bo customer request is too big or too small for Eddie.

A wonderfully happy atmosphere pervades and can be felt and appreciated by customers. Eddie’s staff are ‘wannabe’ people and one senses their happiness and contentment to be working in such a vibrant enterprise.

“Frying Nemo” earns the title of the best fish and chip shop in the Northern Territory on a almost annual basis. It also has a standout reputation on an Australia-wide level. Sample the wares and you will understand why this is the case.

I undertake a 26 kilometre round trip from home for our fish and chips. Visit and patronise the establishment and you will understand why. “Frying Nemo” is the best.

From my experience in life, I offer the following observations about the capacities of women to contribute meaningfully to organisations and the enrichment of society.

Women have acute situational awareness.

Women have clear goal orientation and crystal-like focus.

Women cut to the chase and don’t dither around the edges of issues.

Women are careful synthesisers and succinct summarisers of situations.

Women are adept at timetabling and planning; they are generally meticulous plan followers.

Women show empathy to those who are under the pump.

Women excel in engaging others in planning and organisation.

Women have excellent leadership and participative perspective. They are both on the organisational balcony with all-encompassing vision and on the dance floor with and among those engaged with endeavour.

Women make an extraordinary contribution in engaging with future economic and societal needs.

Women contribute proactively to staff endeavour and leadership balance within organisations and systems.

May we all grow to appreciate women for their continuing and ongoing contribution to leadership and the enhancement of the world in which we

We need a return to predictability in education and about schools. Students and teachers need to know from day to day and week to week what is coming next. Too often things come up unexpectedly and unpredictability. This can throw planned teaching and learning programs up in the air or out the door. Covid and it’s disruptions have not helped, but the system can often be its own worst enemy. We need for confidence and reassurance to be part of education’s offering. Sadly, all too often, that is not the case.

In real terms, it has never ever been cold in Darwin. it is also very hot around the Northern Territory. It is so hot in many places the children cannot go to school. It may well be that the high rates of absenteeism and remote area schools is due to the fact that it is always so hot.

In those remote schools, school administrators often leave it to the community to fix the problem.That means that absenteeism rates are high and statistics on school attendance abysmally low. The problem can be fixed of course but that would take effort and often that effort is not applied. It is far easier just to let the children and the students run loose in the community, and it sure takes a fair bit out of the effort of having to teach.

Jason Clare seems to have a burning ambition to contribute to the enhancement and development of education’s offerings to Australian students. His enthusiasm is commendable and his acceptance of advice from Tanya Pliberseck (along with her willingness to offer that support) is commendable.

I hope that within the educational domain, Mr Clare is able to discern the wood from the trees. There has been far too much experimentation and allowance of teaching to be subjugated to the whims of researchers whose experimentation turns students into educational guinea pigs.

Good, sound holistic education, as declared essential in the preamble of the Melbourne Declaration on Education in 2008 needs to be revisited. The declaration stated education should take account of the academic, social, emotional and moral/spiritual needs of students. Sadly, that ambition now seems to have become lost in history.

School Principals, teachers, support staff, students and school community parents and caregivers are far too frequently faced with the aftermath of break-ins to schools.

An irony is the apparent reluctance of some school leaders to follow through publicly on issues of wanton damage to premises and property. That may have to do with school leaders somehow feeling a misplaced ‘shame or blame’ for these happenings. The fact that schools are broken into is not their fault.

The issue needs to be aired in the public domain. Offenders should to be dealt with in other than a trivial fashion. They are fully aware of what they are doing and deserve to face realistic consequences.

Students and staff who are the victims of property crime need to know that offenders will be dealt with appropriately, not handled with kid gloves and let off lightly.

Schools used to be happy and open places of learning, not enclosed fortresses separated from their communities by security devices. Sadly, that era has been consigned to history and may never be restored.

I am amazed by the fact that people who proudly claim to be persons whose heritage embraces an Indigenous Australian background, seemingly deny that part of their heritage that is non-indigenous. People talk about the fact that they are proud members of various family groups associated with land and country that identifies them as indigenous. That is fine and this acknowledgement, once hidden, is a good thing. The exemplification and magnification of cultural background and heritage is a step up and step away from what used to be an admittance of shame.

However, what I cannot understand is why those of mixed heritage speak about and are proud of the indigenous side to their heritage, while barely mentioning the fact that their birth or background is one of cultural mix. Rarely if ever, is there any acknowledgement of the parent, grandparent or great grandparents who were non indigenous. Why is that the case.

Historical denial of indigenous makeup was sad and is being corrected. That is good. But contemporary denial of that aspect of birth and heritage that is non-indigenous is equally as unfortunate. It denies the essence and the enrichment that cross-culturalism can generate.