This grant gave students from a school out west a holiday on Bribie Island. It was intended to give the students from Proston State School a camp on Bribie Island. A previous 1-week camp had proved to be highly enjoyed by the participating children. It was surprising that some students had not seen the ocean before. This year grades 3 & 4 attended, and the stay was only for 2 nights as the teachers didn’t think that the younger students should be away from home for longer.
The benefit of the program to the students, was that they learnt to step outside the classroom, and this can be a daunting experience for many students. The group from the west was made up of 16 students, two teachers, and one child with autism plus their father.
They learn to live together, to cooperate and to help with meals and other duties some of which they had never done before. The students also had time to go to the beach, which was a new experience to some as well as learning lifesaving skills [provided by lifesaving instructors]. This experience gave students a reward for their efforts during the year. The Bribie Island community was fully supportive of the project as the surf lifesavers, the Melsa train, and the Butterfly House all gave freely of their time and instruction for the students to enjoy their week.
The cost of the project was $5,861, with the grant providing $5,000 and the club making up the difference. The club members (16) committed a significant amount of their time in support of the grant. Members helped to serve breakfasts and dinners at Congeau House where the students stayed, and joined the children on outings to Australia Zoo, the Butterfly House, and the beach.
On the last night of the trip there was a dinner with Rotary Club members and students attending. The students gave a report on their activities
A Description of a day by one of the teachers escorting the students.
“This day there was a fair amount of rain on Bribie Island, but this has not slowed us down at all. Today the 3/4s started with a play in the park and a walk to the jetty. We saw more dolphins and even a sting ray!! Then we went for a ride on the miniature trains, followed by some fun at the beach. We finished the afternoon with a loverly boat ride up the Bribie passage.”
Rowarn Luder
