Finish as a team

Finish as a team...what a great concept. And so reflective of the modern world. No longer is it the greatest to come first - it's better to work collaboratively, support each other and finish the job together, as a unit, as a whole.

And so the Kokoda Challenge for our kids - The Kokoda Youth Foundation focuses on changing the lives of disadvantaged youth. The challenge is to train for and then run 15 gruelling kilometres - and finish as a team. Our school has had a team of students supported by their teachers running in this event for the last two years. Gradually we've all gotten involved even if we're not all running. We now wear green to school the day before the team head off to the challenge and all the money raised is donated to the Foundation to assist a group of youngsters get to Papua New Guinea and walk the Kokoda track visiting villages and honouring our veterans along the way. The program involves the youth doing what they thought was impossible, creating lifelong bonds and experiencing history and culture to prepare them for giving back to the community on their return.

There is a special story behind this year's team involving one of our teachers, Susie Lefevre. In 2014 after beating breast cancer, Susie conquered the Kokoda track, honoring her father and maternal grandfather who were both WWII Kokoda Track heroes. It was one of the most grueling yet rewarding challenges Susie has ever completed. She shares a message of persistence, endurance, hope and facing whatever life throws at you with grace, confidence and a huge smile and our team considered this message as they ran yesterday.

All Kokoda school cups are in honour and memory of Australian Veterans, not only keeping their spirit alive but helping to educate all of us about our diggers and the sacrifice they made for our freedom. In 2019 our Peregian Springs State School teams were named after Susie's father and maternal grandfather.

• Frank Freckelton - Craftsman 247 Light Aid Detachment
• Ray Edmonds – Militia 55/53 battalion

What an honour for our 2019 team! How proud these brave men would have been of you.

 

A morning in the life of PSSS...

I wandered around our school this morning reflecting on all that was going on.

There was that fantastic Assembly with 6D's Rube Goldberg machine and 1W's (also known as Super 1W) ideas for social learning.

Then our Pre-Preps from Peregian Springs C&K came for their time in the Resource Centre

3M have an army of parents in and they are building billy carts and doing hands on maths.

And there's Mr Wise demonstrating the LEEDR board to some teachers and a visiting Principal. And later he was putting in an order for 3D printers as we've been successful in securing a grant for Young Entrepreneurs.

I've had a meeting with a couple of young girls who are starting a small business selling their crocheted products - they are learning skills for a modern day workforce. Employers now want confident problem solvers who can speak well and collaborate with others.

And here's another student discussing with me how she plans to light up the world with a solar buddy project. This looks like it could be a fantastic Project Compassion for us in 2017.

Ms Marszalek is doing some exciting maths with 2G.

And Mrs Harbour took 21 children to Arcare today to have morning tea with the residents. The children heard stories from a 94 year old triathlete which brought tears to everyone's eyes.

About 590 children have said good morning to me with a smile on their face. And Elaine, our publicity officer, is struggling to decide which good news story to write next.

And it's not even lunch time yet...

Ms Sands...will you be at Assembly this week?

You know you've missed too many Fridays at school when little kids are asking if you will be at Assembly this week. 'Yes', I told her. 'I wouldn't miss this Assembly for any meeting in the world.'

Assembly; it's my favourite time of the week. A time for kids to shine, to get recognition from the rest of the school for a job well done, to have some fun, and to enjoy the learning of another class. Many people refer to Assembly as Parade - I never do. The term 'Parade' brings back memories of my first primary school in Australia where we had to march in time into a hot quadrangle and stand with our hands behind our backs for what seemed an eternity. If you were lucky, you escaped the sting of the cane on the back of your bare legs while Parade dragged on.

Today's Assembly was extra special. The whole school community turned out to support a little boy to cut his hair very very short in order to raise money for Shave for a Cure, the Leukemia Foundation's signature fundraiser.

From this....

To this....

In 10 minutes...

942 (or round about) kids cheering and supporting him.

Call it Parade if you like. To me, it will always be Assembly

School holidays are coming... and Fiji, here we come

You have probably read the title of this blog and thought to yourself 'It's all right for some...' And you would be well justified in that!

The Spring break starts in five days. Three teachers and I are off to the Yasawa Islands, Fiji for 7 days on Friday night - that's right, no time to waste. Come bell time on Friday Melanie Timbs, Maree Johnson, Sara Hollonds and I will be off at breakneck speed heading for the International Airport Brisbane.

Approaching Nasomelevu from the sea

We are spending a week with the Head Teacher, teachers and children at Nasomolevu Catholic Mission School in the northern Yasawas - a five hour boat ride from Nadi. Those of you who have been there will know what a beautiful place the Yasawa Islands are, and also how remote and distant they are from services as we know them in the western world.

We hope to form some lasting relationships with this little school of less than 100 children - relationships that our children at Peregian Springs will benefit from in the years to come. This is the early phases of our Twin School Project which started as a seedling idea in 2010. It's still a tiny seed idea but has the potential to bloom into something wonderful.

Maree's library

Many of us have links with this area stretching over years - Maree set up the school's library about 12 years ago when she worked in the Fiji Islands as part of Education Queensland International; Bridoen Schloss has spent time there as part of a mission visit; I have travelled to the area over many years since my daughter was small and have seen many Head Teachers pass though - it has been interesting to see the links emerge throughout our school as the project has grown.

Just as fascinated by technology as Aussie kids

 This year 3L, 2M and 4G as buddy classes have spent time learning about Fiji culture and geography. They have written letters for us to take to the children so that we can start some communication. We have also collected sports equipment, books and maths gear to take with us - there is so much we only have room for togs and a sarong (and a bit of sunscreen) in our bags!

The reading material of my childhood is still used here

School rules are still important

In the future we would like to take children with us on this trip - and maybe sponsor children and their teacher from Nasomolevu to visit us.


Just can't wait for the holidays...

No fancy whiteboards here

The amenities block