Williamstown schoolchildren will help victims of Cyclone Winston after setting up a special service agency with help from the local Rotary Club.
Rotary Club of Williamstown president Kathy Roberts said her club sponsored the formation of an EarlyAct club for year 5 pupils at the newly opened Sandridge School.
For students aged five to 13, EarlyAct encourages them to be caring and helpful, and teaches them leadership skills to tackle problems within their school, local and global communities, she said.
“For their fundraising project, they chose buying a shelterbox kit, to be sent to Fiji to help the people there who lost their homes in the recent cyclone,” Ms Roberts said.
“They had already raised around $250, but on the day of the launch of their club, they managed to crowd raise another $1100, which is an amazing effort.
“Involvement in an EarlyAct club teaches values such as caring, respect, empathy, responsibility, tolerance, citizenship, compassion, friendship and leadership … to recognise the dignity and worth of each individual.”
Principal Dr Jeanne Shaw said she was in awe of what the year 5 class had achieved.
“What a wonderful statement has been made about working together to achieve great things,” Dr Shaw said.
“Our school community will be all the richer because this is citizenship learning in action.”
