Three-legged races, water bombs, hair dyeing, face painting, and chocolate egg raffles were some of the activities at the lunchtime fete at St Mary of the Angels Primary – but the fun had a serious purpose.
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While kids romped in the autumn sun, they raised money for charity.
“If they're having fun,” principal Sharon Wittig said, “they tend to be more generous, and then they relate giving and serving others as something that's pleasurable, something they might want to do in the future.”
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The Catholic primary school only has 88 students, but service is an important value.
“Part of what we try to teach in our schools is to proclaim, witness, and serve others,” Mrs Wittig said.
“That's a really important part of the culture of our Catholic schools, and that comes under the service to others. We do that in Lent particularly, because that's a time when we're asked to pray and fast and think of other people.”
The fete raised money for Project Compassion, an annual fundraising and charitable event run by Caritas Australia, a Catholic agency for international aid and development.
“Every year, we cover a charity for Project Compassion,” said Mrs Wittig. “They do fabulous work in poorer countries, and the work they do helps to change lifestyles.”
The school will probably raise $350 to $500 over the year, which will allow them to provide a year’s remedial tutoring for a young Syrian refugee, so they can study in Jordan; or support a group of 25 Filipino women to run an income-generating project.
Students are also encouraged to put money into their home collection boxes. Even five cents a day over the 40 days of Lent can make a difference to someone in a developing country.
The fete was run by the school’s Mini Vinnies group, which empowers primary students to become advocates within their community by putting their values into action.
Every Thursday, the group, led by Year 5 and 6 students, plans how to help their community. They usually hold an event every fortnight.
“We're very proud of our senior kids here,” Mrs Wittig said. “As teachers, we just have the utmost respect for them, and the things they do for the school and for other kids.”
Besides Project Compassion, older children go out with a Meals on Wheels community volunteer. Pupils visit the Kolora aged care home each fortnight, while the residents pay a return visit each year, and have morning tea with the students.
"It's just a really lovely relationship that we've built up over lots and lots of years,” Mrs Wittig said. “I think it teaches our kids to think of other people, rather than just themselves."
