Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Abergowrie State School Principal Laura-Beth Martin with the 2026 Showcase School Award. Photo supplied
By Victoria Velton
Abergowrie State School has taken out a Queensland Showcase School Award, with its small rural school community earning state recognition for its work in early years education.
The school was named the 2026 Showcase School Award winner for Excellence in Early Years Education (Kindergarten to Year 2), announced at a ceremony at Parliament House in Brisbane on World Teachers’ Day.
For Principal Laura-Beth Martin, the award is a proud moment for the school and recognition of what a small rural community can achieve.
“To stand alongside some of Queensland's larger primary schools and be recognised at a state level reinforces an important message: the size of a school does not determine the size of its impact,” Ms Martin said.
“Being a small rural school does not mean having smaller ambitions, fewer opportunities or a lesser vision for our students.”
Ms Martin said the achievement reflected the work of the school's educators, the strength of its community connections and a shared commitment to giving children a strong start to their education.
“At Abergowrie, we are proud of what can be achieved when passionate educators, strong community connections and a shared commitment to children's learning come together,” she said.
She said the school's team was central to the recognition, praising their dedication to providing quality teaching and building strong foundations for every child.
“As Principal, I am incredibly proud of our dedicated team. Their passion, commitment and genuine care for every child are what make our little school so special,” Ms Martin said.
The school's approach to early learning extends from its Cheeky Monkeys Playgroup and Kindy through to the primary years, with a focus on high-quality teaching, meaningful learning experiences, building strong foundations and inspiring curiosity and a love of learning.
Ms Martin said the award belonged to the entire school community.
“This award belongs to our whole school community. It celebrates the people, the relationships and the commitment that makes Abergowrie such a wonderful place to learn and grow,” she said.
“This recognition is a celebration of our journey, the foundations we continue to build and the belief that every child deserves an exceptional start to their education, no matter where they live or how big their school may be.”
The award was one of nine presented to Queensland state schools at the 2026 Showcase event, recognising programs and practices making a difference to students and their communities. Showcase schools share in $120,000 in funding to help extend and share their successful work.
“We are incredibly proud to represent rural education and to show that great things are happening in our little corner of North Queensland,” Ms Martin said.
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