COMMUNITYSPIRIT

Community Service Program

As an adjunct to the numerous activities conducted by individual tutor, year and house groups, planning is underway to introduce a formal Community Service Program into the College, commencing with Year 8 in the second semester 2008. The aim of this Program is to help boys to mature into leaders both within the Newington community and the wider community and to develop the attributes of leadership centred on knowledge and wisdom together with active, committed and compassionate service to the community.

We aim to facilitate this by providing boys with
the opportunity to learn about and to form active partnerships with a number of charitable non-government organisations who serve both the local, national and international communities. Initially we will be asking Year 8 boys to work in groups to research and present a perspective on four organisations.

These organisations are:

The Fred Hollows Foundation – Australian and international blindness prevention and surgery to cure cataract blindness in poor communities

The Tear Foundation – Addressing the causes and results of poverty internationally

CanTeen – kids living with cancer

The Salvation Army Oasis Foundation – homelessness and young people at risk in our community

Some fundraising events will occur and we hope to have a presentation and seminar/information day where our Year 8 boys and some Year 11 leaders inform us about the operation and effectiveness of these organisations and how they might provide useful assistance as they progress through to Year 12.

We hope to develop and extend the program through to Year 12 so that our boys gain useful skills, contribute meaningfully and continue their relationship with these and other organisations in their post Newington life. We are also keen for parents and Old Boys to be linked into the program and to provide logistical and skills-based support.

40 Hour Famine

For some years now Newington College has proudly supported this worthwhile project and this year is no different. We have been amongst the most successful schools in raising money for this worthwhile cause and this year we have set ourselves a target goal of $10 000.

In conjunction with World Vision, the focus of the project this year is to help stop child exploitation and trafficking in India. Go without food (or something that really matters) for 40 hours between 15-17 August and help to make a difference to children less fortunate than yourselves.

http://www.worldvision.com.au/youth/viewVideo.asp?sssdmh=dm16.327353&ID=1