Queenscliff students take Melbourne by storm

ST ALOYSIUS Primary School pupils have enjoyed a wild ride in Melbourne – not just on the train but the whole Melbourne Water Kids Teaching Kids 2018 event.

Eight pupils from grades 4 to 6 spent two days during Enviro Week (October 23-24) representing the school at the annual Melbourne Water KTK2018 Conference.

Archie Tatterson, Sam Waight, Henry Howard, Banjo Breisch, Scarlett Birrell, Isobel Wrochna, Eamonn O’Dowd and Aubrey Leonard- Smith, accompanied by Mrs Sadler and Ms Nitz, demonstrated outstanding leadership, cooperation and resilience as they negotiated the Melbourne Metro transport system, YHA accommodation, the gala dinner dance and their presenter roles.

The Melbourne Water Kids teaching Kids Conference is held annually at Melbourne University and Collingwood Children’s Farm.

During the conference, the pupils attended 18 different workshops and presented their own amazing workshop called, “It’s the Motion of the Ocean” to almost 70 participants.

“They heard some very inspirational speakers such as Emma Kearney, North Melbourne AFLW captain and Melbourne Water chair John Thwaites,” Mrs Sadler said.

“They were also very moved by information presented by Water Aid, a foundation that works in other countries to provide sanitation and fresh water to schools.

“The Water Aid speaker explained that one in every three schools around the world does not have toilet facilities at the school.

“Can you imagine having to wait until you got home every day to do number twos?

“This is also one of the key reasons why girls begin to drop out of these schools once they reach puberty.

“The embarrassment experienced when there are no toilet facilities during puberty must be debilitating.”

Mrs Sadler said at the end of the conference, each school was asked to provide a reflection and pledge.

Eamonn read out St Aloysius Primary School’s pledge that stated: “We will encourage our school community to buy local so we can reduce our carbon footprint and also to only use environmentally safe sunscreen.”

The delegates will be teaching the rest of St Aloysius students about these issues in the weeks to come.