31st May 2019
From the Acting Head
Dr Emma O’Rielly
The measure of a person is in the quality of life that they lead and the citizen that they become. Most of life’s great skills are learned by taking part in activities beyond the classroom and in gaining a true understanding of teamwork, friendship, leadership, compassion, inclusiveness, loyalty and commitment.
Last Sunday, 240 students and 60 volunteer parents, took to the streets of Bendigo and Castlemaine on behalf of the Salvation Army, seeking donations for the annual Red Shield Appeal. Junior School students have been putting their loose change from lunch orders in red pig money boxes. The fact that the students raised more than $10,000 for the Appeal is really a reflection of the bigger Community Service picture at our school.
Our Community Service program is about serving others. It is about participating, leading and encouraging others to do the same. Our students understand that to feel good they need to do good, and I am immensely proud that our students, resplendent in full winter uniform, freely gave their time last weekend to knock on doors in their neighbourhood and to think and act beyond their own needs.
Community Service through participation in events such as the Red Shield Appeal is an entrenched part of the Girton journey, developing a strong culture of students who are empowered to realise their own potential as citizens of the world. We ask our students to consider the privilege associated with attending a school like Girton and to understand that with such privilege comes the responsibility to give something back whenever they can, no matter how small.
