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T H E C AT H E D R A L S C H O O L
12 EDUCATION
thursday 22 july 2021
burdekinlocal.com.au
ALL ABOARD THE MAGIC BUS
Gumlu State School students tip empty drink cans into one of four recycling bins at the school.
Bruce Macdonald
Monday 2 August, 9am – 11.30am A R E YO U E N TERIN G YEAR 1 0 I N 20 22 OR 2 0 2 3? Give yourself the best opportunity for success in your senior schooling. • Highly accomplished teachers • Quality differentiated learning • Choice of subjects and study paths • Supportive peers • Ayr weekly boarding and bus service • Senior School scholarships close 6 Aug
R E G I ST E R cathedral.qld.edu.au/10openday
GUMLU State School Parents and Citizens Club President, Rosemarie Linton, is one resourceful fund raiser for the 16 students who attend classes. Raising cash for school projects is hard at the best of times but in the midst of a global COVID-19 pandemic it is a damned sight more difficult. Two years ago before the world went into lockdown, Rosemarie and her committee decided to reach out to the community by asking households to deposit recyclable cans into empty fertiliser bags close to the school entrance. Like so many small communities around Australia the locals answered the call and the club’s coffers began to swell. Rosemarie’s plan was to
154 Ross River Rd, Mundingburra cathedral.qld.edu.au
School P&C President Rosemarie Linton who has been the driving force behind the fundraising efforts to purchase their school bus, with School Principal Thomas Harrington, who holds a bus licence and often drives students to events
Association tipped another $2000 into the school’s bus fund and the establishment of NQ Green Solutions recycling business in Ayr saw Rosemarie knocking on their door. The result? The school has four, 1000 litre bins installed in the school grounds which the recycling company empties on a regular basis. “Our previous collector came from Townsville to collect the cans so we saved money with the local company,” Rosemarie said. The bus is also being leased out for various functions, including a wedding, adding a new revenue stream which helped Rosemarie and her committee buy the bus
outright from the Home Hill High School. And guess what? Rosemarie and her committee members are good bargainers. They paid the high school $7000 to buy the bus outright, an added windfall of $1000 on the overall purchase price. The story doesn’t end there. Gumlu State School Principal, Thomas Harrington, just happens to have a minibus licence. Bus driver fees are also waived. And there is more good news, the school’s popular car show and fishing competitions will return post the COVID-19 outbreak.
PCYC to collaborate with Ayr State High School for Blue EDGE Program Marina Trajkovich
T. (07) 4722 2000
buy a minibus with the funds and when she got wind that the Burdekin Special School was planning to sell an18-seat minibus she acted quickly. “The special school switched to smaller mini vans so with 16 students at the school, the minibus was just what we needed,” she said. Ever resourceful, she knew the school didn’t have the cash to buy the minivan outright but was able to convince Home Hill High School to share the $16,000 purchase price. “The high school came on board which really helped,” she said. “It was costing us as much as $1500 for trips which we simply couldn’t afford because trips to Bowen for swimming lessons and gymnastics classes made it increasingly difficult to cover the costs.’’ A raffle run by the Bowen and Gumlu Growers’
AYR State High students are getting ready for the Blue Edge program, an eightweek athletics program and challenge, to help improve their fitness and get to know local law enforcement. Led by the Burdekin PCYC in collaboration with the Queensland Blue Light Association, policeled organisations aimed at improving outcomes for youth, the EDGE program is designed to empower children through physical activity and goal setting. Burdekin’s PCYC’s youth club manager, Andrew Sherington, says he’s looking forward to meeting the Year 8 and 9 students and taking them through the challenges. “Primarily, it’s all about engagement with local police, and it’s building resilience. “From a QPS perspective, we’re able to engage with the community and youth to build those relationships. We get police from the location to visit, too, so they get to see police outside their normal environment.
Sessions will be held Tuesday and Thursday mornings before school from next week, with various physical challenges, one of which involves students using teamwork to push a police vehicle on the field. “The kids can set goals, and that physical component is great for them as well to see how they’re able to improve and meet those goals,” says Sherington. “We hope that they can then continue on that path with their health and fitness.” Activities differ week by week, with guest speakers coming in to speak with the students. “We do get different people from the community to come speak, people like Dale Last, for example, our Mayor and a couple of business owners. I try to get some sports stars to come in too,” says Sherington. “This is the second time we’ll be doing the program in the Burdekin. When we did it last year, it was exceptional, everyone really enjoyed it. “We set different challenges, and it is a lot of fun.”
Students from Ayr State High School will embark on an eight-week fitness program with the PCYC’s Andrew Sherington next week
Burdekin PCYC’s Youth Branch Manager, Andrew Sherington
Students pushing a police vehicle as part of the program’s physical challenges
