We are delighted to announce that Fiona Taylor, Head of Modern Languages at St Andrew’s College in Christchurch, is this year’s recipient of the Rosaria Campbell Award for Excellence in French Teaching.
Fiona is an experienced Head of Languages and French teacher with over 25 years in secondary education. Passionate about communicative and intercultural language teaching, she leads curriculum innovation with a strong focus on effective pedagogy and student-centred learning.
Fiona has taken numerous trips from New Zealand to both France and New Caledonia and thrives on connecting students from NZ and French-speaking countries. More recently she was the convenor of the New Zealand Association of Languages Teachers Conference in Christchurch.
Fiona supports teaching and learning of all languages and she is an advocate of supporting the young people of Aotearoa to experience a range of languages and cultures. Fiona is keen to explore opportunities for young New Zealanders to learn about the history connecting New Zealand and France through their shared history.
As the recipient of the Rosaria Campbell Award, Fiona will spend a week in Le Quesnoy working with Te Arawhata’s team on learning and engagement outcomes, before enjoying a week of sight-seeing and culture in Paris.
The Award, now in its second year, is organised by The Language Circle and honours the memory of Rosaria Campbell, an outstanding French linguist and educator.
In her final years Rosaria contributed immensely to the development of Te Arawhata and strengthened cultural and educational ties between France and New Zealand.
The Award is supported by Rosaria’s family, and the French Embassy. We are excited to welcome Fiona to our tūrangawaewae on the Western Front!