Scotch College

Consideration for others continues in the Junior School

Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.

WORDS: Ms Bronwyn Dandie

After visiting Jilkminggan, James Tissot (Year 6) decided to help the children he had studied and played footy with by raising money to purchase Literacy Backpacks.

The backpacks, containing reading material of interest to all family members, are distributed by Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for Youth, supported by Northern Territory schools and teachers. Fountain for Youth is a charitable organisation which works to improve children’s health and education.

On his return home, James became involved in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Program. To complete the volunteer component, he set about contacting the Melbourne-based AFL clubs to organise a footy morning at Scotch, and with the support of Sally Sutherland, his dream became a reality.

On Wednesday 20 August, the Junior School hosted 18 AFL players representing 10 AFL clubs for a fun morning of photographs, autographs and the odd kick of the Sherrin football, to raise money to purchase Literacy Backpacks. To have so many AFL players together at the one time was an amazing effort, usually reserved for such events as the Brownlow Medal or a grand final breakfast.

Over $3,000 was raised, and now thanks to all those students who donated $5 to have their photo taken with an AFL star, Jilkminggan and other community schools will be given Literacy Backpacks to promote reading by Aboriginal children and their families.

Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for Youth is helping to introduce Literacy Backpacks to as many as 1300 children in remote communities to the east and west of Katherine. For more information, visit ianthorpesfountainforyouth.com.au. GS

‘Scotch College is a great place. Every day when we come to school we are given the opportunity to learn many new and exciting things that prepare us for whatever we choose to do after we leave school. But there are some Australian children who do not have this opportunity.

‘I was fortunate to visit the Jilkminggan Community School in the Northern Territory. It is about 450km south of Darwin and is one of the most underprivileged Aboriginal community schools in Australia. The principal explained to me that because of the lack of resources he doesn’t expect any of his students to go to university, and over 90 per cent of the adults and children living in Jilkminggan can’t read. Their playground is just a dusty footy oval and their swimming pool is a water hole, where the teachers must always be watching out for crocodiles.

‘I joined in with the Aboriginal kids who were my age and helped them with their story writing. The teacher took photos of the afternoon at the billabong, and together we wrote a sentence describing each photo. I made many new friends, like Travis who won a drawing competition, and his art work is now permanently on display in Parliament House in Canberra.

‘I also met Metalica and Aurora, who just giggled and laughed every time they saw an image of themselves on the screen of my digital camera. I have written to Alex who travelled to Darwin to play in a junior state football match – his dream is to play in the AFL. Maybe one day he might join the Tiwi Island project and become a student at Scotch College, and we will meet again ... I hope so.’ James Tissot, Year 6