Junior School
Junior School
Junior School News
A positive change in each boy’ s life
The Social Services program is one of the seven service programs that boys in Year 6 can choose to participate in during their final year in the Junior School. The Social Services program aims to increase each boy’ s awareness of the many individuals and groups in both our local community and the wider world who are experiencing disadvantage or hardship, and may need additional support and resources at one time or another.
The following narratives from members of our 2017 Social Services committee, all in Year 6, provide a detailed outline of what being a member of the Social Services committee has meant to them. NICHOLAS TUFFIN – SOCIAL SERVICES COORDINATOR, JUNIOR SCHOOL
Social Services has made a positive change in my Year 6 life and in the Junior School more generally. It has given me insight into many important issues facing the world today, and it is always reassuring to see that the work we do has the ability to change people’ s lives.
I believe that the role the Social Service group plays is extremely important. At Scotch College we rarely, if ever, face the challenges that others less fortunate than ourselves must endure. It is because of the extreme privilege that we have been given that we must try our hardest to help those in need.
In Term 2 this year the Social Services team organised a Footy Colours Day, where all boys could wear their team’ s colours to school provided they brought a gold coin or note donation. We raised a significant amount of money, and this went towards a non-profit foundation called Team Vista, which was formed by staff member Mr Brendan Frost, his mother and his friend Caroline. Our donation went towards assisting the community of Moshi, a small town at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro( Africa’ s tallest mountain) in Tanzania.
Our donation helped fund new developments and resources in the local school of Moshi, assisted with teacher training and also funded training for people attempting to start small businesses.
Team Vista not only provides vital resources for schools to thrive, it also encourages young children to stay in school, especially young girls, even if their own families don’ t want them to. The role Team Vista plays is very important, not just in Moshi but elsewhere in Africa, too. CHRIS O’ CONNELL
The Giving Tree is a charity run by Anglicare every year at Christmas time, and the Junior School has been supporting this charity for over 15 years. This appeal aims to collect new toys and nonperishable food items and distribute them to people in need.
In my seven years at Scotch I have participated in this event many times, and it is very satisfying, whether it be depositing a gift at the bottom of the tree or helping load all of our donations into the Anglicare vans. Participating in this appeal fills you with a sense of happiness, because you know you are helping a less privileged family to be able to have presents to put under their tree at Christmas.
“ That day meant a lot to me because of what we accomplished as a school, and that the money we raised helped to improve the quality of life for so many other people.”-Ben Cashin
This event also bears some resemblance to the story of Jesus, who was born on Christmas Day and gave his life up so we might be forgiven and live happier lives.
It is also exciting that the rest of the social services team and I will be organising this event in Term 4. I hope that we can collect even more gifts than in previous years. I also sincerely hope that this event will continue to thrive well into the future, and that it will continue to inspire in others the same feeling of happiness from helping others in need that it has done for me during my time at Scotch. JUSTIN OOI
Team Vista was one of a handful of charities we have raised money for so far this year. The reason that this fundraiser appealed to me was that it was helping an amazing cause, because we were helping a whole village that was struggling to survive. This village we supported is in a small area in Tanzania, Africa, called Moshi. Mr Brendan Frost, who is one of the many teachers here at the Junior School, helped create this charity after visiting the village and seeing what it was going through. When Mr Frost visited this town the hospitals were dated, the schools and education were poor and the levels of hygiene and cleanliness were limited.
To support the village, we decided to run four cricket-related fundraising mornings during our Huff‘ n’ Puff sessions. After four fun-filled mornings of throwing, catching and bowling competitions, we were able to raise a large amount of money to support the many people living in underprivileged conditions in Moshi, and helped to give the people in this village a better education, improved facilities and a lot more.
After this fundraiser, I felt really proud that we had helped people on the other side of the world. HENRY ELLIOTT
Over the course of one week during Term 1, each House was asked to have a morning where they conducted cricket-related activities. The main purpose of these activities was to raise money for charity. The selected charities that we were supporting were the Ponting Foundation and the Royal Children’ s Hospital Good Friday Appeal.
The Ponting Foundation specifically raises money to help children and their families who are battling cancer, and the Royal Children’ s Hospital Good Friday Appeal aims to raise much needed funds for equipment, research and education for the hospital.
During this fundraiser, some of us were lucky enough to have Star Man help with House rapid fire cricket. He gave some great hints and tips to us because he is the mascot for the Melbourne Stars and he knows a lot about cricket.
That day meant a lot to me because of what we accomplished as a school, and that the money we raised helped to improve the quality of life for so many other people. BEN CASHIN
14 Great Scot Number 151 – September 2017