In July 2020, Pam Pritchard and the Rotary Club of Turramurra made a strong connection with Moree East Public School, a disadvantaged school where 87 per cent of the students come from the Indigenous community.
It was the beginning of lockdown and a survey by Principal Lorinda Potter showed that 117 computers were needed for every child at the school to have reasonable access. After discussions with Pam, District Aboriginal Support Officer Bob Selinger sent the message out to the district and a donation of 67 iPads was sourced from Abbotsleigh School by John Hartley, of the Rotary Club of Chatswood/Roseville.
The school also needed extra shade to protect students from the 40-degree summer heat. The solution was to provide two commercial style market umbrellas costing $8,956, which were funded by the Rotary Clubs of Chatswood/Roseville and Turramurra.
A significant setback for the school was the loss of its sponsorship for the ‘Books in Homes’ literacy program, which provides students with two new books of their choice for three terms. The Rotary Club of Turramurra took up the challenge to sponsor the program for 2022 and extended its support to 2023, at a total cost of $23,933. The project was supported by the Rotary Clubs of North Ryde and Chatswood/Roseville, along with district and RAWCS compassionate grants.
In addition to the student books, the school also received books for the library.
The books are presented at special Books in Homes Assemblies and there is great excitement within the school when the students know the books are arriving.
A project report was sent to Minister for Indigenous Australians Hon Linda Burney MP, who replied with enthusiastic congratulations.
“Thank you for your ‘good news’ correspondence and the great work the Turramurra Rotary Club has been doing in partnership with the Moree East Public School community.
“Like you, the Australian Government believes that every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child deserves a strong start in life and an engaging education is key in achieving this.
“As we know, literacy is a vital skill for ensuring all students have the best chance to succeed in their schooling. For First Nations students, it is an important foundational skill for a good education and the pathway to addressing social and economic disadvantage.
“Thank you again for sharing such a positive story at the start of the new year.”