30/10/2026
Today, I’m borrowing the Phoenix page to thank some incredibly important people in our community—our teachers.
Happy World Teachers’ Day to those who teach, encourage and champion our kids. To our own kids’ teachers, past and present, thank you for getting to know them, celebrating their strengths and helping them through the tricky bits. Knowing someone is in your child’s corner means an awful lot.
But you’ll have to forgive me for making this a little personal, because there’s one teacher I’m particularly proud of—Mrs Phoenix.
For the past 14 years of our relationship, I’ve watched her pour her heart into teaching. I’ve seen the planning after dinner, the weekends spent creating and the thought that goes into finding another way to help a child when something isn’t clicking.
I’ve listened when she’s worried about a student and watched her light up over a breakthrough. What might seem like a small achievement to someone else means everything when she knows how hard that child has worked for it.
I’ve watched our home become a workshop and seen her turn scraps of material and a seemingly impossible idea into something special for the kids. There’s always another way to make a lesson more engaging or help someone feel included—and she’ll find it.
After 14 years, I also know that “I just need to do one thing for school” comes with absolutely no reliable finishing time.
She’s the lady behind much of the cheekiness on this page, too. So if you’ve ever wondered who encourages it… mystery solved. Although I fully expect this post to come back with corrections.
Behind the humour is someone whose care for her students I get to see every day. I’m incredibly proud of the teacher she is and the difference she makes.
Happy World Teachers’ Day to my favourite teacher, Mrs Phoenix, and to every teacher giving so much to our community. Thank you.
Michael
Principal Broker | Phoenix Risk Services
