Pleasant Street picnic this Christmas

INSTEAD of its usual Christmas Festival, this year Pleasant Street Primary School are hosting a remote picnic with its students, parents and the wider community.

In adhering to COVID regulations around large gatherings, the school is encouraging families to set up their own picnics, either from their homes, a park or another outdoor space, to celebrate the school year.

Pleasant Street’s acting principal Helen Romeril said that although the festival usually draws in a huge community crowd, they’re adapting and doing things differently to prioritise safety.

“We’re doing the Christmas picnic is because we can’t do the normal Christmas Fest and it was going to be our 10th anniversary, so we’re really sad that we won’t be able to connect with our families this year,” she said.

“The picnic is basically picnicking apart, in a COVID-safe way, so that our families can still connect with some of their kid’s classmate’s families.

“We’re encouraging them to upload photos on the night so we can see what different people are doing.”

In addition to inviting the school community to get involved in the online forum, Ms Romeril said the kids have also organised a variety of activities.

“Families can choose their own picnic locations, could be the backyard, the park all those sorts of things, so we will all be picnicking in different places,” she said.

“They will also have a scavenger hunt that our school leaders have produced and school trivia cards as well that they will be able to complete which they can bring back to school on Monday.

“So still picnicking apart but make it feel a bit more of a community feel.”

Ms Romeril was also thankful for the support of several local businesses who play a part in making the Christmas event special.

“Forty Winks is our major sponsor who has come on board with some sponsorship money and the Ballarat Yacht Club will be providing picnic boxes which can be purchased through them and we pick them up for the night,” she said.

“It’s incredibly important and special, not being able to have the parents on site, still building those community connections with our families is going to be really important moving into next year.”