All is go and here is some information on the adults on the trip

 

Image above: The 2021 Premier's Anzac Spirit School Prize group at the award ceremony in September 2021. A year later we are finally on our way! 

Well, we finally have Ministerial sign-off on the re-scheduled trip and all is in place for us to leave Adelaide on the 1st of October - at last!! It has been a long wait but I can assure you it will be worth it.  Our group has changed a little since we first met back in September 2021. We now have 5 staff travelling and a different RSL SA delegate. We have increased the number of staff to meet the requirements of our extensive COVID-19 risk strategy.  We also have fewer students involved and at the moment we have 16 students travelling. I can explain more about this on Zoom when we meet tonight at 7pm.  

As an introduction to the staff I thought the following will be of use to you - to know a little about the adults travelling on the trip. The biography for our RSL SA delegate, Wayne Langford is somewhat longer because of the special role as an ex-servicemen that he plays on the trip. During our time away I am sure you will find out more about the teachers accompanying the tour ... and they will find out more about you as we get to know each other.

Janine Fedorchuk-Weeks

I have been a HaSS, Japanese language, and Research Project teacher at Birdwood High School for the last 4 years. I studied my Master of Teaching at UniSA, and my undergraduate degrees in International Affairs and Japanese were completed at the University of Colorado, Boulder.   

David Antell

Hello, and great to meet you! My name is David Antell and I’m a HASS and English teacher at Saint Mark’s College, Port Pirie. With a Degree in Geography, a Master of Teaching in Humanities, and working/traveling around the world for 10 years, I have a wealth of skills and knowledge to share and build on during our Anzac field trip. I cannot wait to meet you all in person for our Northern Territory adventure of a lifetime.  

Jacky Smith

I have been a teacher for about 15 years, whilst my background includes being a Wellbeing Leader, and Aboriginal Education teacher and a Head of Middle Years, my love of teaching came from my History classroom with my students when I first began my career. I strongly believe that History builds empathy through studying the lives and struggles of others. Studying the diversity of human experience helps us to appreciate cultures, ideas and traditions that may not be our own, as you would have learnt on your discovery of the Anzacs.  I look forward to meeting you all in person and sharing this life changing experience.

Elspeth Grant

Hi everyone and I am looking forward to meet you tonight online. I am currently teaching at Seaton High School and previously was the HaSS Coordinator at Golden Grove High School and Mark Oliphant College. I am keenly interested in history through my training and work as an oral historian before embarking on a teaching career a decade ago. In 2018 I travelled to Vietnam as an accompanying teacher on the Premier's Anzac Spirt School Prize study tour and I look forward to the experience of travelling to Darwin in October with you. 

Malcolm McInerney

I have been involved in Humanities Education in South Australia since 1976, teaching in a range of Department for Education schools as a humanities teacher and coordinator and more recently working as the Humanities Projects Manager in the Department for Education. It is in the latter role that I have conducted the Premiers’ Anzac Spirit School Prize in South Australia since its inception in 2008.  This will be the 6th study tour I have managed, the others being to Vietnam from 2016-2019 and Darwin in 2021. Needless to say, I am really looking forward to us all having this travel experience in October. 

Major Wayne John Langford OAM

I enlisted in the Regular Army on the 6 March 1968 and upon completion of Recruit Training, I was allocated to the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps and posted to the 2^nd Field Ambulance. Two years later I was posted to the 4^th Battalion the Royal Australian Regiment as a Company Medic with subsequent duty in South Vietnam.

On return to Australia I was posted to the School of Army Health, Healesville as an Instructor. From 1974 until 1976 I served at the Army Apprentice School at Balcombe in Victoria. In 1977 I was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and reposted to the School of Army Health. During this posting I served with the Regiment from 1980 until 1983.

I was promoted to the Rank of Warrant Officer Class Two and had postings to the 3^rd Camp Hospital, School of Army Health and to the Army Aviation Centre, where I was awarded the Order of Australia for services to the Centre in 1988.

Upon completion of the Regimental Sergeants Course, I was posted to the 10^th Field Ambulance Tasmania, the 3^rd Brigade Admin Support Battalion Townsville, Soldier Career Management Victoria, and 3rd Training Group, until appointed as the Command Sergeant Major Logistic Command.

In 1998 as Warrant Officer Class One Langford I was posted as the Regimental Sergeant Major Central Region and remained in South Australia until Commissioned to the rank of Captain in 2000. I served with the 3^rd General Hospital as the Operations Officer, which included a tour of duty in East Timor 2001, Defence Force Recruiting as the Senior Reserve Recruiting Officer, and as the Operations Officer, Joint Operations Support Service.

On the 16 January 2006, I was promoted to the rank of Major and served in Training Command-Army. Major Langford discharged from the Regular Army in March of 2008 after 40 years’ service. I then transferred to the Army Reserve and served for a further 7 years.

My record of service includes: South Vietnam 1970-71, Northern Iraq 1991 and East Timor 2001.

I am currently a member of the RSL SA Board and I am looking forward to the study tour to Darwin with you all next month.

Honours and Awards include: The Order of Australia, Commendation for Distinguished Service East Timor, Australian Active Service Medal 45-75, Vietnam Service Medal, Australian Active Service Medal East Timor, Australia Service Medal Iraq, Australian Defence Force Service Medal, Defence Force Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, United Nations Medal East Timor and the Infantry Combat Badge