2005 School Magazine

Community

Community

CONTRIBUTING TO THE COMMUNITY

As teenage girls, opportunities for us to perform grand gestures of charity with far-reaching impact on the world are rare. However small acts should not be overlooked and we have embraced Lois McMaster Bujold’s idea, “If you can’t do what you want, do what you can”.

YEAR 10 SERVICE

STUDENT REPORT: During the Easter break, Nicole Rowles (10E), Genevieve Molloy (10E) and I conducted our community service at Moorooka State School. Located near the Red Cross, this school has become the first port of call for many children of refugee status or who have migrated from war-

Live Aid

The Service framework this year has given every girl and even staff members the opportunity to “Be the Difference”. Years 8 and 9 House Groups organised their own fundraising activities for their chosen charities. Year 10 girls engaged in twelve hours of community service outside of School. Years 11 and 12 co-ordinated service groups within the School and had the opportunity to participate in 25 hours of voluntary community service outside of School. As well, the School’s various service groups were busy fundraising and promoting their causes to the School community. Hopefully the importance of community-mindedness, compassion and generosity instilled in Grammar girls will continue throughout their lives so that they might make a more significant difference to the community. This year the School community raised over $40,000 for various charities. More importantly, a record number of girls joined service groups and participated in community service. Commitment to a good cause is a great investment when you give your time, energy and most importantly, your heart to something. What you learn, the great experiences you have and the appreciation you receive are the best dividends you could ever hope for.

affected countries. The immigrant population of Moorooka State School today is predominantly African and Middle Eastern. The school currently has the largest enrolment of English as a Second Language (ESL) students of any primary school in Queensland. Our job was to assist the ESL teacher in tutoring small groups of newly-arrived African children. We often worked one-to-one with the students on an oral language programme designed to improve their English vocabulary. We also worked in the Grade 5 classrooms, helping individual African students to complete written project work and helping them with their computer skills. While at the school we really became part of these students’ school life, helping out with art lessons, organising a lunchtime dance group for African girls and spending time with them in the playground.

While we were able to be of service to Moorooka State School and its students, we also gained an enormous amount from our experience. We were constantly amazed by the warmth and generosity of children who had so little and who had been through so much. They never complained or felt sorry for themselves; in fact, they were always positive and happy, finding something good about everyone and everything. This was a lesson for us all. Our community service at Moorooka State School was both a memorable and an extremely valuable life experience for us and we will never forget it. Stephanie Carter (10E)

Live Aid

All Year 10 students were required to make a contribution to the community this year. The girls negotiated their own placement and gave twelve hours of their time to help someone else, either after school or during the holidays. Many girls worked with children. A particularly challenging yet rewarding choice was offered through the Smith Family - girls acted as phone buddies helping younger children to improve their reading. Other girls helped in aged care facilities or organisations such as Oxfam and the Red Cross. Mrs A Stubbington CO-ORDINATOR i T

Madeleine Cameron (12L) & Meera Srinivasan (12W) SERVICE CAPTAINS

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Brisbane Girls Grammar School

School Magazine 2005