The new year stands before us, like a chapter in a book waiting to be written. Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come. The best way to predict the future is to create it. We are Rotarians and we will continue to make positive changes.
POLLY'S ACTIONS
It all started when Doug Hemingway visited his granddaughter’s school, Joan of Arc, in Brighton a few weeks ago. While he was there, Doug talked to his granddaughter, Polly and a teacher about their excess pencils. Doug explained to Polly that children her age over in Timor Leste only had black pencils as coloured pencils were very pricy. Well, that was enough to galvanise Polly into action.
Within the next week the principal spoke to all the students at assembly that Polly would be collecting pencils. It was Polly who went from class to class explaining that the children in a country so close to Australia did not have any coloured pencils because of their cost. Polly said that she would happily collect all the pencils that the children did not need and that she would organise for them to be sent over to Timor Leste. As you can see from the photo below Polly certainly was very successful. The pencils were picked up by Bronwyn Stephens and are on their way over to Timor Leste.
Here is an example of a Year 4 girl enacting fabulous leadership skills, showing care and concern for those less fortunate than herself and practising public speaking. Polly should be very, very proud of herself as she has actioned the philosophy of Rotary at such a very young age. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see Polly organise a Rotary Earlyact Club for her school? Proud grandparents, Judy and Doug, would be right there for her.
Well done Polly and congratulations from us all!
Polly - Act Early
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY
I have been liaising with the Year 6 students at South Melbourne Park Primary School during the year. In 2022 they were the the first group of students to graduate who enrolled in the school when it first opened. They were delightful, quietly confident, curious and respectful. A credit to the school's leadership team, teachers and of course their wonderful parents.
The students wanted to leave a legacy to the school and after a long discussion they decided a plaque acknowledging the positive impact that the original owners of the land have had and are continuing to have. Once that was decided then it was just a matter of deciding on the plaque's design from around 100 styles and voting. The original plaque did not mention the future impact so they voted to add to the wording.
The plaque was ordered and a during the last assembly of the year, it was presented to the Year 6 students, along with a tablet explaining what the plaque was and Port Philip Rotary's involvement. The two plaques are to be placed in the school's foyer.
Acknowledging the past, the present and the future.
The plaque will be placed below the Acknowledgement of Country
The wording.
Graduates 'Avenue of Honour' to run through.
VENUE: Emerald Hotel, 415 Clarendon Street, South Melbourne
