CC+Report+for+2010

** Community Committee Report 2010 ** The Community Committee (CC) is made up from an elected class representative whose job it is to help coordinate activities and suggest ways Cranbrook can assist our own school and the wider community here in Australia and around the world. This year we also had a very special mascot called //Enviroman// (aka Henry Donaldson) join our CC team. Dressed in green super hero-like outfit he designed himself, //Enviroman// was seen at assemblies and around the school helping promote green action

The year started disastrously for the people of Haiti who suffered from the catastrophic impact of an earthquake. The Cranbrook community quickly dug deep and from passing the bucket at the swimming carnival was able to raise $1170. We donated this money to School Aid who work to provide water, sanitation, health care and shelter for affected children.

On environment issues, we continued to promote //Nude Food Day// during the year. The school won a $737.10 grant from Woollahra Council to purchase 4 yellow co-mingle bins to improve the way we collect recyclable items around the play areas. Recycling paper and co-mingle items have now become a routine part of our school days. We again participated in //World Environmental Day// and //Earth Hour//.

This year has also seen a broadening of social and environmental causes taken up by the grades. The Year 4s started by using interest generated in their UOI topic on the human body to join forces with IPSHA schools around Australia to raise money for the Fred Hollows Foundation through their Indigenous Program. The students participated in an odd jobs and a ‘Crazy Shades’ day to raise a total of $3289.30. Fred’s widow, [|Gabi Hollows], was on hand to accept the cheque. Mrs Allen-Waters and the Year 6s helped organise the //40 Hour Famine//, raising an impressive $6227. As part of their UOI ‘Sharing the planet’, the Year 5s raised $693.25 in the //River// //of Coins// event for our World Vision sponsor James and his community. The aim was to recognise shortages of fresh water supply in third world countries like Tanzania. The Year 3s took responsibility for looking after the school worm farm and help run the annual //Anglicare Christmas Hamper Toys ’n’ Tucker Drive//, delivering food and toy packages to families in need over the holiday period. Mrs Elliot’s class wrote letters to James. Our final charity event for James this year was our annual //Games for James// day. A number of fun games like putt putt, giant chess and basketball shoot out were set up for the boys to play for a gold coin donation. Brookie Bear once again joined in the fun.

The CC and library monitors joined forces for two initiatives. The first was the //Great Book Swap.// The aim was to raise funds to help promote literacy amongst remote Indigenous communities. Students were encouraged to donate one of their favourite books and pay a gold coin to swap it with someone else’s book. Students exchanged over 200 books and raised $333.40 for the Indigenous Literacy Project. The second initiative was //Share-A-Book//. We collected and donated 70 books to the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation for disadvantaged Australian Indigenous children. We would like to thank Ms Light for her drive in organising these charity events.

This year, a parent initiated campaign called //Boots in the Bush// was launched to send donated football boots to Indigenous communities in Alice Springs who play sport without proper footwear. A total of 57 boots were donated by families. Thank you to Cranbrook parent Cheree Curran for setting up this fabulous program.

Working in line with the PYP program, the CC helps promote the virtues of empathy and caring for others. CC members also learn about how to organise and run whole school events, including promoting and reflecting on the success of events. We look forward to continuing to make a positive impact on our world in 2011.