Congratulations to College Legend John Mooney (SPC 1960-65) OAM PSM who was recognised earlier this week for 60 years of teaching.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll recognised 307 long-serving teachers and support staff at the annual Recognition of Service awards in Melbourne last Sunday.
Staff were presented awards for 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 years of service to public education in Victoria.
An education veteran, John has worked in the state’s public schools since he graduated in 1966.
John has been Principal of Emerson School, a specialist school in Dandenong, in Melbourne’s southeastern suburbs for 29 years, and also served as Principal at specialist schools in Frankston and Ashwood.
He was awarded the Public Service Medal for contribution to students with disabilities in 2014, and an Order of Australia Medal followed in 2020.
John was inducted as a Legend of St Patrick’s College in 2014 for his contribution to education.
In a radio interview on 774 ABC Radio Melbourne with Bob Murphy and Richelle Hunt earlier this week, John described his 60 years of teaching as a positive one.
“It’s a bit surreal, but you’ve got to spend 60 years, somehow or other, in your life, so that’s the way I’ve spent it, and that’s been a wonderful journey.”
John said he has firm beliefs in his role in education.
“I want everybody to leave school with happy memories,” John said.
In his Principal’s message on the Emerson School website, John says he firmly believes in a well-rounded education for students from all backgrounds.
He also believes staff are friends, counsellors and role models and that “this responsibility drives and inspires our students to become happy, engaged and productive members of their communities”.
In the radio interview, John said “there’s so many people … and they say their self esteem’s low because that’s what was established in schooling. So I’ve worked hard, you know, to build up trust.”
He said he has really good memories of his time as a student at St Patrick’s College.
“I had a lot of fun there, and I remember some of the lessons that I was given, I have applied in my later life.
“I remember a science teacher who said, “Let’s sing a song of a nursery rhyme, and we’ll fit it in science.
And so, instead of twinkle, twinkle little star, it was Scintillate, scintillate, globule vivific… Right? And I can sing that to you now, like it was yesterday.”
Sixty years on, John said he continues to love what he does.
“I like schools to be a place to grow old and stay young at the same time. Now, so you get a lot of people who do get browned out because there’s lots of compliance, there’s lots of accountability.
There’s lots of all of that. But you’ve got to think about the creativity. You’ve got to think about, you know, the sense of wonder and the sense of awe where kids can’t wait to come to school the next day.”
