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Gumlu State School students tip empty drink cans into one of four recycling bins at the school.

Bruce Macdonald

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 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’

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

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

Jo Lenz accepts permanent principal position at Home Hill State School

Marina Trajkovich

JO Lenz thought she was merely doing a four week cover as principal when she drove from her home in Townsville to Home Hill State School for the first time last year.

Nine months later, she’s calling the principal’s office her own, having obtained the permanent principal position at the end of last term, after former Principal Judith White announced her retirement.

“I’m very excited, actually. It’s my own school. It’s a lovely school, and I think that’s why I decided to apply and also to stay on after those initial four weeks,” says Jo.

“The community is great. The staff are wonderful, and the kids are beautiful. The school has a real country feel which is what I grew up in, a country school in Finch Hatton near Mackay.”

The former deputy of Aitkenvale State School had always dreamt of holding the principal position, inspired to make a difference in the lives of her students.

“I had always aspired to that. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time but maybe never had the courage to step forward. It hasn’t really sunk in yet,” says Jo of the new position.

“I suppose when I was in primary school, I had an awesome principal who was also a teacher who was a big influence.

“You really notice how a principal can make a difference in a kids life if they believe in you.”

She says she’s excited for the opportunity to continue to improve the school and feels inspired within the new leadership role.

“We’ve been working really hard in our reading, and another thing we’re working towards is improving our trauma-informed teaching.

“Everywhere we’re seeing kids who haven’t had the best time growing up, and so we’re making sure that teachers and everyone here is well equipped to give everyone the best possible chance at their education,” she said.

Originally studying a double Arts and Teaching degree at James Cook University. Jo originally thought she’d be a high school art teacher before falling in love with primary education.

She says that art-making and being creative is still a big part of her life and something she’s able to be part of within the school.

She’s looking forward to laying roots in Home Hill and resettling with her partner

Danny Burke from Connolly Suthers Lawyers

and two teenage boys.

“Now we’re moving to the Burdekin. It’s a big move for us. I’m feeling excited to be part of a small community as well, which you can lose in a bigger city like Townsville.”

HOME Hill State Primary School has welcomed a new and improved Homework Club and seventeen more computers to their computer lab in recent upgrades and new funding for the school.

Principal Josephine Lenz says that the Homework Club was started last term and has been wildly successful with both students and parents, with kids utilising the school’s library to complete their homework once a week.

“We did do an expression of interest for the club, and we have about 25 kids attending. They just love it,” said Ms Lenz.

“It’s been very popular with parents as well, and a lot of kids will get their homework done in that hour. It’s one less stress for parents to worry about.”

She says that the school has recently received new funding, which will support the club and the teacher aides, teachers and chaplains who help the students

Home Hill State School gets exciting upgrades to Homework Club and computer lab

Marina Trajkovich after hours. “We’ll also be able to provide the students with morning tea, so our tuckshop ladies will be able to prepare some platters of sandwiches and fruit to feed the kids prior to Homework Club. “It’s been nice to get that extra bit of funding to be able to do that. We can also provide extra learning resources now if we want to, so it’s very exciting.” In addition to the new homework centre, the school’s computer lab has also been improved, with seventeen new computers purchased for the lab. “We used our Investing For Schools money for that which comes out of our budget. We have the computer lab but only had about eleven computers that were working properly. “The new computers are up and running, and the kids are loving having their own computer to work on. That’s huge. Every child can now be in there and on a computer.”