School project turns into a passion initiative for those in need
| John Paul College Year Five student, Christiaan Howes has turned a simple school-based project, into a meaningful initiative to change the lives of others in the community by donating necessities like shoes and clothes to unprivileged children with the vision to term this into a big annual event and eventually collect all year round. Touched by a story of a underprivileged child in Ipswich, who did not have the necessities to go to school every day, Christiaan started an initiative within the JPC community to encourage everyone to dig deep and donate any items of clothing and shoes, which could be donated back to underprivileged children. This child in particular was going to school in thongs – two right foot adult thongs that the child could hardly walk in.
Christiaan has been able to donate 120 clothing items, 63 pairs of shoes, 57 pencils/books, 15 educational games, 9 backpacks and endless sporting goods back into the local school community to help those less fortunate, have the confidence to go to school with the necessities. His donations have not stopped there, in fact he continues to receive bags of donations daily.
|
At John Paul College our purpose To Educate, To Inspire, To Make a Difference, is present through a variety of educational programs and techniques which push the status quo when it comes to learning and excellence. Christiaan’s initiative as a Year Five student to make a difference in the lives of others in his local community is testament to the fantastic educational leaders we have at the College who encourage students to best the very best they can be.
‘Giving our students the opportunity to have a voice and form opinions of what they believe, provides a huge personal growth opportunity for them. We produce thought leaders of the future and inspire our students to push the status quo’ says Mrs Karen Spiller OAM CF, Principal of John Paul College.
‘Our curriculum encourages students to research, explore, examine and theorise their projects to further their understanding of the topics in the question’ says Mrs Spiller.
‘I couldn’t believe that normal kids, like me were going to school without shoes on. I didn’t understand that not all kids are as lucky as me’ says Christiaan Howes, Year Five student at John Paul College.
‘One boy couldn’t participate in the PE class because he didn’t have any shoes, and his parents sent him to school in thongs. It was with this story, that I decided to stand up and make a difference’ says Christiaan.
