As parents and educators, we want to empower our daughters with the belief that every person can make a difference. At a time when our Barbreck girls are still so young it is wonderful to see them take this belief and put it into action. This was the case when four of our Year 4 girls approached me with the idea of holding a fundraiser for the Royal Children’s Hospital. 

The girls booked a meeting time with me and came armed with a number of ideas. I loved their enthusiasm, as it was clear from the moment our meeting commenced it was not actually a question of could they, it was more a question of how could they.  

Their initial idea was to sell beaded bracelets. This was something they were passionate about and knew other students would enjoy. Their entrepreneurial hats were on – they knew their customers and what they would like! 

When our brainstorming continued the girls realised their cottage industry needed to lean more towards factoring processing when 190 Barbreck girls would be interested in their products. Presented with this challenge the girls then problem solved options for production, including pre-orders to make bespoke bracelets to order.

Despite the production hurdles the girls maintained their focus on the goal of fundraising – understanding it was just the means that needed a little work. Eventually, they landed on a non-uniform day and treat stall. We considered that although we are a health promoting school, the occasional treats day was for a great cause and would be acceptable to most parents. 

While our Year 4 girls may only be young it is clear they have an innate belief in themselves. They showed self-confidence to speak for what they believe in, an appreciation for their current aptitudes and the communication skills to reach out for assistance to counter their knowledge gaps and reach their end goal. They are a very resourceful group of emerging young women, and it was a pleasure to assist them in achieving such a wonderful day and generous fundraising result! 

Throughout this week it is clear that our Barbreck girls: 

• may be young, but they want to be heard, and make a difference. 
• might not have all the details, but they have the big picture, and they want to succeed. 
• have initiative, they just need support and encouragement to make it happen. 
• are taking baby steps now, that will lengthen in time to big strides towards their goals. 

The girls’ passion for their cause and their presentation at our Barbreck Assembly informed their audience and ensured it was a cause everyone could get behind. I am pleased to report that Barbreck raised more than $1,000 for the Royal Children’s Hospital.  

A special thank you to the girls’ parents who supported them all as they moved through their ideas, planning, production, and event stages. Without your support their vision would not have succeeded. This was no small effort! Thank you to all our Barbreck girls and their families for participating in this fundraising event.  

♦

Out of School Hours Care – Term 3 Week 6 Activities

Upcoming activities for Term 3 Week 6 are detailed here.

St Catherine’s School offers an Out of School Hours Care program to all ELC and Junior School families. The program is implemented by our provider ‘After the Bell’ and operates within the ELC building. Parents are reminded that if you need to use the Before School Care or After School Care service, registrations need to be made in advance with ‘After the Bell’. Please allow up to five business days for your registration to be processed before your child can begin attending the program. Registration is free. All families are encouraged to register so that they can use this service in the event that you are unable to pick up your child.

Before School Care – 7.00am to 8.45am

After School Care – 3.00pm to 6.00pm

Registrations can be completed via the ‘After the Bell’ website.

Please phone 9758 6744 for all inquiries.