PR E PA R ATORY S C HO OL
Community Service at the Preparatory School
Service to others is another way the School
encourages our students in Year 5 and 6
to live out the school values, in particular
citizenship, compassion and integrity, and in
doing so develop a lively spirituality.
Having compassion and care for others is
crucially important. It is part of our Christian
heritage. The prophets in the Hebrew
scripture remind us that the key to life is:
To love justice, show compassion
and to walk humbly with God
(Micah 6:8)
Jesus taught us in his summary of the
commandments to love God and to love our
neighbours as we love ourselves.
We are all members of three communities:
• The community at home – our
immediate and wider family
• The community here at school –
the Guildford community
• The wider community
As members of these communities it is
important that we teach our students to
care for others in the wider community
by participating in the Service to Others
program – it is important to celebrate our
service to others by recognising those
students who participate in this program by
presenting Service to Others certificates to
all students who participate – this is done in
Priestley Hall during our Friday assemblies.
Our Year 5 and Year 6 students have the
opportunity to participate in our Service to
Others program. This takes various forms
– from playing bingo, card games, carpet
bowls, scrabble and a wide variety of other
action-packed activities with the elderly in
Nursing Homes (Midland Nursing Home
and Morrison Lodge) or playing a practical
part in the chapel services held in Midland
Nursing Home and Morrison Lodge once a
month, assisting Father Philip Raymont.
2015 has brought fresh opportunities for
our Year 5 and Year 6 students to serve
our community in various forms. One
only has to witness the joy in the elderly
when our students arrive to engage with
them – many of these residents seldom
see anyone else during the course of the
year – and to have our boys and girls come
in; say hello, shake hands, have a chat and
engage compassionately with them brings
out so many positive reactions – this may be
a hug, a kiss on the hand, holding hands,
shedding tears of joy, joyous communication
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and the mere comfort of their presence.
When waving goodbye, the spontaneous
outpouring of love and appreciation touches
one very deeply.
So many questions have been asked about
the School – comments made about the
manners, courtesy, the dress and the
massive impact our students have on the
residents in the Midland Nursing Home and
Morrison Lodge – strong relationships have
been forged between the students, the
carers and the residents.
The Preparatory School has been involved
in a range of projects as part of Service to
Others that encourage students to live out
the School’s values of:
• showing compassion to others
• encouraging spiritual growth
• displaying citizenship as a valued
member of the community
• acting with honesty and integrity.
Of course our service to others goes way
beyond the work we do in Morrison Lodge
and Midland Nursing Home – all students
in the Preparatory School have countless
opportunities to show their compassion for
others during the course of an academic
year:
• Emergency Relief Fund – food donations
on a termly basis to Foodbank WA
• 5 For the Future donations made on a
weekly basis – which forms part of a
Quarter competition within our Spirit
Shield category – these monies are
collated each week – totals raised are
shared with all at Friday assemblies and
at the end of the year, a substantial
cheque is made out to Anglicare WA
• Crazy Hair Day – through which very
impressive quantities of donations are
received for the Leukemia Foundation
– in 2015 the Preparatory School raised
in excess of $24,000 – one of the very
special days on our calendar.
• Jeans for Genes Day for the Medical
Research Institute
• Footy Colours Day for the Fight Cancer
Foundation
• Our annual Christmas Appeal, which
coincides with our annual Carols Night
– these donations of gifts are presented
to Anglicare to distribute to those far
less fortunate than members of the
Guildford community.
Community activities can boost teenagers’
self-confidence. Our students can learn to
deal with challenges, communicate with
different people and build up their life skills
and abilities in a supportive environment.
This is also good for their self-esteem.
It’s also a great foundation for general and
mental health and wellbeing.
It can be very positive psychologically for
young people to have something that gets
them involved, where others expect them
to turn up and take part, and where they’re
supported to achieve something as part of
a group.
This is just a snapshot of the spirit of giving
that permeates the Preparatory School.
Mr Roger Budler
Deputy Headmaster, Preparatory School