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As part of its 2018 Book Week celebrations, Connells Point Public School, located in NSW, has created a unique and colourful reading area within the library in memory of a much-loved teacher, Karel Dutton. It is called ‘Karel’s Cubby’.
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Karel worked in the private sector for several years before retraining as a teacher. She taught at both Hurstville and Rockdale Public Schools prior to joining the Connells Point staff as a classroom teacher in 1998.
Always keen to expand her knowledge and experience, Karel swapped the classroom for the library and provided the students with imaginative lessons till she retired in 2015 due to ill health.
As a dedicated professional, Karel cherished her students, supported public education with a passion and articulately advocated for social and educational equality. Her library lessons were always instructive and fun, and she was a friend as well as a teacher to her students.
Karel knew the power and beauty of books and the children responded enthusiastically when she shared her knowledge with them. She died just before Christmas last year following a long struggle with breast cancer.
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As well as schools losing a remarkable teacher, the Sutherland Shire netball community lost a skilled coach and team manager. As a life member of both the Sylvania Heights Community and Youth Club and the Sutherland Shire Netball Association, Karel was the manager of Sutherland’s representative teams that competed successfully in state netball championships.
Managing people was one of Karel’s many strengths. As a teacher, she willingly mentored younger teachers, sharing with them her wisdom, resources and positive sense of purpose.
Whenever Karel’s colleagues discuss her influence on their own teaching practice, they regularly mention words and phrases such as generosity, affection, honesty, strong sense of justice, loyalty, good humour, empathy, acceptance of difference and nurturing spirit.
To all who worked with her, these were not simply words; they were Karel’s teaching motivation and her life’s mission statement. She encouraged the strong, empowered the weak and embraced both.
Similarly, Karel’s friends remember her with love and respect. Annette Strangward knew her better than most, and her words reflect the thoughts of all.
“I met Karel in 1988 when we worked together at Hurstville South Primary School. Karel was a colleague who became one of my closest friends over the next 30 years. We shared the highs and lows of teaching and of life’s experiences,” Strangward said.
“She believed passionately in looking for the best in others through a lens of belonging, kindness and fun. You are smarter than you think and braver than you believe was something that resonated in her teaching.”
Strangward added that Karel was a “passionate educator who encouraged students and colleagues to value themselves and enjoy every moment”.
During Karel’s Memorial Service, Annette read a passage from Robert Fulghum’s book, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.
The words epitomise Karel’s ability to understand that profound truths can be applied with child-like simplicity;
“These are the things I learned”.
-Share everything.
-Play fair.
-Don't hit people.
-Put things back where you found them.
-Clean up your own mess.
-Don't take things that aren't yours.
-Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
-Wash your hands before you eat.
-Flush.
-Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
-Live a balanced life - learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
-Take a nap every afternoon.
-When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.’
Traditionally, librarians have encouraged orderly movement and quietness within their workplaces, but I know Karel would be delighted to see how students now bustle in excitedly and head for the cubby, books in hands and smiles on bright faces.
‘Karel’s Cubby’ is a new and attractive oasis for the students and a lasting tribute to a beautiful teacher.
Dr Mark McKirdy is the Teacher-Librarian at Connells Point Public School