“However, it is her love and passion for the Arts, in particular music, that Christine left her special mark,” Yarrawonga Scared Heart Primary School Principal Arn Gorman said at a packed retirement send off on Friday, March 22 at Yarrawonga’s Naked Tree Restaurant.
After making the move to Mulwala in 1988 and teaching at Mulwala Primary School, Christine commenced at Sacred Heart Primary School in 1996.
Mrs Gorman said that Christine’s leadership of the choir, liturgical songs and the bling have filled classrooms, the multi-purpose building, basketball court and Mercy Centre with great enthusiasm and joy.
“Our masses, sacraments and Christmas concerts she has led year after year have become treasured traditions that bring faith to us at the same time nourishing and energising our Sacred Heart Parish community,” Mrs Gorman said.
The school principal referred to Christine’s role as FIRE (Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education) program carrier.
“Her dedication in promoting the reconciliation of our First Nations people has helped nurture an environment of respect, understanding and unity in our school and wider community,” Mrs Gorman said.
“Our school’s Gulnya Garden will always reflect her dream of uniting our Catholic faith story and spirituality with our Indigenous story and spirituality.”
In the early formation of National Reconciliation Week in Australia, 2010 Christine entered Sacred Heart Primary School asking schools to be creative while singing the song ‘Hands Across Australia’.
Fifty students and instruments went bush and were filmed singing and playing Hands Across Australia along the Murray River then aligned the Yarrawonga Mulwala Traffic Bridge with Aboriginal and Australian flags singing the song as cars and trucks zoomed by.
“We didn’t win the $10,000 prize money but we were state champions and that led me on the dream of an Indigenous Peace Garden for Sacred Heart and my need to know more about this amazing culture,” Christine explained, in her speech.
She led the school in Indigenous education and was an inaugural member of Sandhurst Indigenous education group, benefitting from the Sandhurst group’s leader Louise Levy, our own Dr Treahna Hamm, and Uncle Wally. At Christine’s farewell, Louise paid tribute to her, praising her “vision and outstanding contribution”.
Quick on the uptake was Christine. For example, a group of Chinese dignitaries visited the school one year and school principal at the time, Shane Nolen was seeking urgent entertainment for them. A rushed visit to Christine’s class! Out came the guitar and students sang Home Among the Gumtrees and Tie Me Kangaroo Down which greatly impressed the Chinese dignitaries.
Christine always wanted to be a teacher. Her love of the creative arts was always evident, organising special performers to visit the school.
“I loved all the old fete performances and community parades where we dressed up and sang our way down Belmore Street, Christmas concerts at the local clubs, taking school choirs to sing at Eisteddfods in Albury and Wangaratta, Mother’s Day celebrations at St Cuthbert’s, the elderly at Woods Point, ANZAC and Remembrance days, and Yarrawonga’s 150-year Centenary parade,” she said.
After conducting choirs, guitar, recorder and glockenspiel groups and practices during her lunchtimes and recesses, Christine was excited when asked by Mrs Gorman to take music education full time.
Many tributes were paid to Christine, some via her daughter Lauren in respect of those who could not attend the farewell. And Lauren, a former student in a class taught by her mother, made a wonderful, loving, and appreciative speech about her mother and her impact on her life.
From start to finish, Christine made a big impact on students. Vicki Dyer’s son Tate was enrolled in prep at St Fidelis, Moreland in 1984.
“In this school in suburbia the city kids, under the guidance of this bubbly enthusiastic teacher with her guitar and Tamborine always close at hand, were able to experience wonderful hands-on learning that set them up for their future success,” Vicki said.
Before Sacred Heart Primary School, Mrs Cussen spent a year as music teacher as well as theatrical work at Mulwala Public School.
“Christine was always for the kids,” Mulwala school principal from 1989 to 2005 Rowland Martin, said.
“She was terrific with the kids – always a person who would put the kids first and do anything for them. She was always willing to go those extra yards for all students, making sure they were dressed up as smart as could be with plays.
“Unfortunately for us we didn’t have a vacancy after her one year at Mulwala and Sacred Heart Primary School did.”
Christine loved her fellow teaching staff and students.
“I endeavoured to make classroom learning fun and related to life’s experiences, and to lead my students to a respect for diverse cultures and inclusivity for the most vulnerable in our community,” she said.
“If you love what you do, you never have to work a day in your life,” she said.
Christine put her heart and soul into teaching and students benefitted greatly.”
