SERVICE DAYS - THE STATS

Whilst Daniel Libeskind, an international figure in architecture and urban design, has wisely commented that:

"Life is not just a series of calculations and a sum total of statistics, it's about experience, it's about participation, it is something more complex and more interesting than what is obvious",

the Stop the Press crew would nonetheless like to pass on some (but not all) statistics from the activities during Service Days 2015.

• Bling Bling group produced 52 necklaces
• Books to Go sold hundreds of books and raised almost $800
• Christmas Treats made over 200 edible treats
• Cookies for Christmas baked over 1,600 biscuits
• Craft Creations (Ornaments Division) made 82 cards and 33 snowflake decorations
• Diamond Dazzlers reported that no one in their group had the requisite mathematical skills to answer this question, there were just too many items to count!
• Feeding Frenzy were still counting but it looks like over $500
• Incandescence produced and packaged 96 candles
• Lavish Lavatories created 12 artworks to be installed on various toilet doors and bathroom partitions
• Media Moguls produced an excellent video featuring the activities of Service Days and the thoughts and comments of students which was screened at the Service Days Celebration Assesmbly
• Pen Pals lovingly sewed 64 pencil cases and made 158 books
• Sim City designed and decorated 5 mats
• Simple Gift of a Bag produced 51 bags
• Stop The Press have had over 1,500 hits on the blog site
• Toys Are Us made 92 toys
• Tweety Houses have 20 bird houses to be installed in the vicinity of the College

Not all groups have been mentioned here and of course there have been incalculable instances of building community, working tirelessly, assisting others and appreciation of a job well done.

Congratulations and thank you for all the hard work and effort contributed by the participants in Service Days 2015.

Better Homes and Gardens (Update)

There have been two Better Homes and Gardens groups working tirelessly during Service Days 2015.  One group has been stationed at Rouse Hill Anglican Church and the other at Life Anglican Church in Quakers Hills.  The students and teachers involved have been working at gardening, cleaning, general maintenance and fence painting.

Great work!

Secret Garden (Final Post)

The Secret Garden group have worked tirelessly to install exercise equipment in the Secret Garden facility.  Well done.  And you can clearly see the amount of work this group has performed through the photographs.

Well done!!

The Secret Garden area as the work begins on Monday.

What a difference!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Bridging the Gap (Update)

Some more photos of the students ‘Bridging the Gap’.  Spending time with and entertaining the residents in retirement homes in the local area.

Hawkesbury Helping Hands Food Drive

Students undertaking this activity were asked to produce promotional flyers and run a food drive at a local Woolworths store.  The food and goods collected will go to Hawkesbury Helping Hands for use in their food hampers to be distributed to those in need. 

“We filled two full trollies worth of goods and are really enjoying the feel of helping someone.  It will give less fortunate/ homeless people food so they can eat over Christmas and have a better Christmas.  I am hoping to get four full trolleys of goods and I also want to have more fun while doing it.  I think the Service Days program is a great idea to help the community and also meet and make new friends out of people from different age groups.  I have thoroughly enjoyed this activity and will definitely be doing it again if Mr. Davies/ the legend is on the task again.”  Callum W.

“We have completed a set of flyers which we were able to hand out to the public, we also filled two FULL trolleys with food and appliances.  Someone who is less fortunate will receive these items and be able to keep themselves well fed and hygienic.  What I am willing to achieve is to make sure that the people who are receiving these things will have an enjoyable Christmas.  I think it is a good way of getting students to participate in helping the community and school.  So far I have enjoyed the time that has been spent with my friends AND helping the community.” Laurence H.

What have you achieved during the Service Days so far?
"We've achieved two trolleys full of hygiene products or tinned food, which then goes to the homeless."

How do you think your efforts will assist someone in need?

"It will give them food over the Christmas period and it will support them with health if they're really thin."

What are you hoping to achieve by your participation in the Service Days?
"I'm hoping to achieve more confidence and helping out the homeless or less fortunate."

What is your opinion of the Service Days program?

"I think it's a good way to support the community but it's not the best when it's 40 degree heat and you're outside all day."

Have you enjoyed working on this activity?

"Yes, because it has boosted my confidence a fair bit and I hate public speaking, so it's helped with talking in front of people and we only have a small group too.”

Amie C.

 

 

Noah's Ark (Update)

Looks like the students from Rouse Hill Anglican College are having fun helping out at the Noah's Ark Preschool in Riverstone.

Cookies For Christmas (Update)

Almost 1,400 cookies at the end of day two ...

Diamond Dazzlers

Diamond Pregnancy Support is an organisation run by a team of dedicated volunteers and staff to ensure that women and their families facing an unplanned pregnancy can receive generous support, compassionate care and practical help in safe environment.

The Diamond Dazzlers Service Days group has assisted this organisation in many ways by sorting and organising donated items for both babies and mums. They have also cleaned prams, basinets, put together gift packages and above all, shown great love in their service and promoted those Christian values we encourage in our students. Although the effect of their work may not be obvious now it will affect those who will most benefit from it in the future. Planting seeds of love now that will shine and flourish in the future.

The wall of work (literally) the Diamond Dazzlers group were presented with on arrival was truly overwhelming. The girls stood in awe and then simply asked. “What do we do first?”

“Working with these students has been a blessing for me. Watching them work tirelessly in what was, on occasions cramped, hot conditions has been inspiring. These Year Seven girls are a credit to our school”. (Mr Burchell).

The director for the Kingswood Support Centre, Jenny,  was truly impressed with their work ethics, beautiful manners and enthusiasm. She said they can return again anytime and has asked that her thanks be passed on to the school.

Well done Diamond Dazzlers.

 

 

Lavish Lavatories (Update)

“The artworks are culture building and things to be proud of.” – Mrs New, Art Teacher

Lavish Lavatories is a group of thirteen students working in the Visual Arts classroom with Mrs. New. The group are painting and decorating bathroom doors to be installed in the girls and boys bathroom in F Block. So far this week they have produced five artworks to be fitted to the toilet doors. The theme of their artwork is postmodern.  They are getting inspiration from artworks of the past and adding their own modern twist.

“I love art, and it’s great that I get to express my artistic talent and it can be showcased around school.” – Victoria. 

Reporters: Felicity and Tara

Craft Creations (Crochet)

Students in the Craft Creations Crocheting group are crocheting baby beanies and blankets.  The items produced will be sold at Hills Harvest to raise money for future service trips.

Better Homes and Gardens: Quakers Hill

The Better Homes and Gardens (Quakers Hill) group have been working at the Life Anglican Church in Quakers Hill.  The church aims to connect the local community with God, to cultivate and grow people’s faith in Jesus and to celebrate life with Jesus

The group's goal is to improve the aesthetics of the church and make it more attractive to the local community. A good looking church will show the community that the attendees and staff care about the property and generally give the church a positive atmosphere. 

The fifteen hard working students accompanied by Mr. Conoulty have been cleaning chairs, digging up a garden bed, removing dead vegetation, attempting to remove a large tree stump, pruning plants and weeding.

Students in this group were asked a number of questions. 

a) What have you achieved during the service days so far?

“We have cleaned the church seating." - Harry P. 

“I have learnt how to cut down a tree.”- Cameron

 b) How do you think your efforts will assist someone in need?

“Over hanging trees have been cut down so they will not damage cars and save money.” – Jordan C. 

“Clean chairs will give people a better experience at church and therefore an opportunity for a better relationship with God.” – Harry P. 

 c) What are you hoping to achieve by your participation in the Service Days?

“To be able to help the church make the grounds presentable so that those who visit will know that this is a church that cares.” – Mr Conoulty

“To gain a better experience of volunteer work.” – Bailey

 d) What is your opinion of the Service Day’s program?

“It’s a tough job but in the end you realise that it’s for the greater good of helping out the church.” – Alistair

“It is good because it incorporates values such as respect and care for the environment from the church and its staff into the Year Seven to Nine volunteers.” –  Daniel L. 

e) Have you enjoyed working on this activity?

“Yes because I get to absolutely destroy things.” Chris 

“Yes because I get to go out of school and do stuff.” Matt

 

 

 

Noah's Ark

The Noah’s Ark service activity is being completed by eleven students.  They have spent their time doing odd jobs around the Noah's Ark Preschool in Riverstone such as sorting through toys to check for repairs as well as cleaning, packing and labeling them.  And after the work there has been time to play with the preschoolers.  The two to five years olds are really enjoying having the Rouse Hill Anglican College students around although our students may not have enjoyed being attacked by dinosaurs, being forced to eat sand and being followed everywhere quite as much.

The RHAC volunteers have found lunch time to be the quietest part of the day where they can relax and join the preschoolers who love to talk and sing about food. Our volunteers also discovered that child care is not easy work and occasionally needed to escape to a quiet room. 

“Older kids are more annoying.” Monique C.

“I had to read, like, 50 books to one kid.” Monique W.