As part of the Middle Years Outreach Program, boys have been dedicating their time to serving others. In Year 7, students are working within mentor groups to identify those in need and then working together to support them. Mr Crawley’s class is supporting the Lonsdale RSPCA shelter by knitting blankets to donate which will aid the recovery of rescue animals. Some boys were so passionate about the project that they continued knitting through lockdown! Dr McTernan’s class are growing a Dahlia garden so they can provide floral gifts for places such as hospitals. Other initiatives have included a clothes drive, filling backpacks, a push-up challenge… one class even bought a Llama for an overseas community in need!
In Year 8, the mentors have put together a diverse list of service activities where students opt into initiatives and attend meetings with representatives from each mentor group before leading the activity with their own class. Initiatives include Bread Tags for Wheelchairs, Trees for Life, Walk a Mile, Phone Calls to the Elderly and Operation Christmas Child. An activity that the entire cohort participated in was Clean Up Australia where each mentor group was assigned an area of the Parklands or River Torrens to clean up. The Middle Years Outreach Program encourages class discussions on a range of social, economic and environmental problems and promotes compassion and initiative in the students to confidently address these issues with practical solutions. The enthusiasm and leadership from the amazing group of Middle Years Mentors and Coordinators is vital to the success of this program and is greatly appreciated. The students are to be commended on their efforts to date.
