Orange High School agriculture teacher Melanie Campbell is one of three finalists in the running for a NSW Teacher of the Year award.
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The award, with the winner to be announced at a gala dinner on August 16, is one of several Australian Education Awards being presented by The Educator magazine.
"There's a team from school going, which is cool," Ms Campbell said.
The other two finalists are Dr Scott Sleap from Cessnock High School and Matthew Tesoriero from Picton High.
I run the cattle team here at Orange High School and I run an agriculture club on a Friday afternoon.
- Melanie Campbell
Last year's awards were attended by more than 500 people from across Australia with awards presented in 24 categories.
Ms Campbell is the only award nominee from the region.
She teaches agriculture to students from year 7 to 12 and is also the year 8 year adviser and said that for the award nominate the panel looked at some of the programs that she established and worked with some of her colleagues.
"I run the cattle team here at Orange High School and I run an agriculture club on a Friday afternoon."
I enjoy working with the kids, I enjoy working with animals.
- Melanie Campbell
Ms Campbell also started a Stephanie Alexander garden making it one of the few secondary schools in NSW to take part in the kitchen garden program.
Another initiative the school is involved with is Cows Create Careers through Dairy NSW.
Ms Campbell who comes from the region has taught agriculture at the high school for almost five years but has also previously worked at Coonamble and Moree.
"I enjoy working with the kids, I enjoy working with animals," she said.
"One of my first interests has been to start a cattle team and showing the cattle working with the cattle and enjoying what we do."
In the meantime a team of students will participate in the Dubbo Merino Wether Challenge where the students are given wethers that were born in the same year at Egelabra Merino Stud at Warren for a feed challenge with the animals judged on the hoof, on the hook and for fleece quality.
Ms Campbell is also involved in a women in agritech program for which she is building a program that needs to be finalised by September.
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