Mrs Schicker was announced as the winner at a function at the Crown Perth ballroom in front of 880 people before returning to the school later that day.
“I was shocked to win but it is very exciting and a great honour,” she said.
Mrs Schicker (43) has been at the school for 18 years and teaches science to students from pre-primary to Year 6. “I am now teaching second generation students and it’s a beautiful little school,” she said.
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READ NOW“The best moment of Monday was when I got back to the school and the children were in the undercover area and they gave out a great big cheer,” she said.
A citation accompanying the award said Ms Schicker taught her students that “circumstances don’t define who they are or what they do; it’s their choices that matter in life”.
“She inspires curiosity in her students, sharing her love of science,” it read.
“Mrs Schicker supports students to succeed, encouraging them to achieve their goals and be responsible for their learning.
“She also spearheaded changes to improve how students with autism transition to secondary school and how the school and parents manage challenging behaviours.”
As part of the selection process, judges visited the Rockingham school and sat in on one of Mr Schicker’s class when students were testing which brand of tennis ball bounced the highest.
Ms Schicker won $25,000, with half the funds for professional development and the remainder in cash.