VALE  Samantha Smith

Staff and students at Ballarat High School remember fondly our beloved friend, teacher and colleague, Samantha Smith who lost her battle with cancer on June 6th. 

Sam first taught at BHS in 1996, bringing with her an extraordinary passion for music and education.  She held 3 Degrees and also her L.Mus.A in Flute Performance. The fact that 3 of these qualifications were gained while she was a full-time working mother is testament to the tenacity and determination she applied to any challenge. 

At BHS she taught all woodwind instruments, specialising in flute, to students from Years 7 to 12, directed the junior and senior flute ensembles and Year 7 Band. Sam was always engaged in promoting music. She was involved in co-ordinating school flute masterclasses with visiting lecturers, school woodwind evenings and Year 7 Band concerts inspiring students to perform in small groups and as soloists. The list is too long to include here, but some of the highlights were taking flute groups out into the community, regional music days, busking, music camps, Art Gallery performances as well as charity events for Rotary and Probus clubs.

Sam was a true educator. She valued every student she worked with, whether they learnt the flute for a year, or kept it as a hobby, or in turn became professional musicians either as teachers or performers or indeed followed in Sam’s footsteps and combined both. Sam certainly had high expectations of her students, but these were balanced with a sense of fun, warmth and a mutual respect between her and her students. Former BHS Music Captain Paula Maki, woodwind player, educator & Ballarat Arts Foundation recipient, recently spoke of Sam saying “Sam was an incredibly skilled musician and I appreciated her discipline for her craft which both encouraged and inspired her students. She always told me that she believed in my abilities and she had a wealth of knowledge and experience I could tap into. I always really admired and respected Sam and she was a wonderful teacher.”

Sam valued community arts and enjoyed performing with local groups such as the Ballarat Symphony Orchestra (BSO), Ballarat Wind Orchestra (BWO) and various theatre orchestras. She was also a respected member of the Victorian Flute Guild - an invitation only member flute ensemble-based in Melbourne. As with all aspects of her life, Sam was always fully committed to whatever she was involved in. Ballarat High was no exception. She was an integral member of the Ballarat High School community, serving as a music teacher, member of the Staff Association Team, Health and Safety committee and AEU executive. 

Sam was admired by students and staff alike for her dedication as a teacher, performer and friend. Her positivity, strength and courage were admired by all who knew her, especially during her time battling cancer. Sam will always be remembered as a beautiful person, a loyal friend, an amazing musician and a devoted and loving mother to her son Jack, who attended BHS as a student. Jack, along with Sam’s partner Peter and father Barry, are very much in the thoughts of the BHS community. 

Sam’s passing is a great loss to our Performing Arts family including students and staff alike. 

The following link will play an audio performance of Sam and her student.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cHtvtyV9ZebggYeDgYZ6GuHcNlCpP8Ug/view?usp=sharing