Students at Meadow Springs Primary School have dug deep into their pantries for homeless people in the Peel region, collecting eskies full of food to donate at Mandurah’s Homelessness Awareness Day on Thursday, August 3.
The years four, five and six students have been hard at work scrounging up non-perishables to give to those in need over the past three weeks as part of an annual food drive spearheaded by the school.
The initiative started as part of the students’ efforts for the Wakakirri competition, a national story-telling event where participants must perform a piece telling a story without using words or narration.
The Meadow Springs students chose homelessness as their topic, with performing arts teacher Kathleen Sheehan seeing Mandurah’s Homelessness Awareness Day as the perfect opportunity for the kids to get involved in the community.
“This was a really good way for the kids to be able to get involved in the topic they’re working on and learn more about it first hand,” Ms Sheehan said.
“We asked the kids what kind of gifts they could give and at first they started to say money, food and such, but as time went on they started suggesting things like empathy and understanding.”
School principal Jacquie Cooper echoed Ms Sheehan’s sentiments, saying it was important the students learn about bigger-picture issues within their own community.
“Homelessness is something that affects people within our students’ own communities, so it’s really important for us to teach them about these things as well as standard education curriculum,” she said.
“For the kids to be able to do something that may really make a difference to someone during their time at school is something we’re very proud of.”
The students will perform their Wakakirri story at the Regal Theatre in Subiaco on Wednesday, August 9.
Justin Rake
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
