Quota Brisbane members lead by Margaret Vallance presented Achiever Award trophies to Students in Special Schools and Special Education Units across Brisbane again at the end of the school year. The presentations are made at end of year celebrations, a highlight of the year for members who enjoy the delight on the faces of the recipients and their parents. Parents report their students often do not get recognised and are delighted for them.
The task of contacting the schools begins well before the presentations. Margaret liaises with the schools to establish who to contact. School are busy places with staff changing all the time and it often takes many attempts before contact is made and arrangements confirmed. Margaret is well known in the schools however and schools have started to seek her out to inquire about the prestigious trophies.
Students are acknowledged for overcoming challenges rather than academic performance. Staff at the various schools make the decisions as they have first hand knowledge of the challenges their students face. Once Margaret hears from the schools who the recipients will be, she arranges for the trophies to be engraved, rosters for presentation are organised and the trophies are distributed to the members ready for presentation.
Things do not always go smoothly however. The delivery of the box of trophies was interrupted last year when the delivery car broke down. With some quick thinking, a change in the plan was organised with a few phone calls. The trophies were collected and delivered to the meeting ready for distribution. A heavy downpour saw the member delivering the box of trophies get very wet. Quota members are known for their resilience. The challenges that night are proof that we are a resourceful group who are able to problem solve and work together to achieve our goals.
