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Cire student a highlight of Rotary year

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A presentation by Cire Community School student Elise, a Rotary scholarship recipient, was a timely and inspirational morale booster for the Rotary Club of Wandin in 2020, according to immediate past president, Paul Martin.

In reflecting on his term in office, Paul described Elise’s presentation via Zoom as a highlight of the year – COVID shutdowns and restrictions had brought the club’s community service to an abrupt halt and while members felt they were kicking few goals, they were inspired by Elise’s maturity and willingness to share her story and aspirations for the future.

Paul’s report was delivered at the club’s recent annual changeover function where Ben Vallence was inducted as the incoming president. Cire is one of the first organisational members of the club.

Paul said: “It is so rewarding to meet those who benefit from Rotary initiatives, “It gives true meaning to what we aspire to do, to make a positive difference to the lives of others.”

Elise and Wellbeing Coordinator Stephen Duke were special guests at a club Zoom meeting during a COVID lockdown in 2020, to acknowledge the awarding of a $2000 scholarship. Elise, was one of four students from the Community School to each receive $500 from the fund awarded by the club in conjunction with the overarching District 9810 which covers a large portion of Melbourne’s south east extending from Templestowe to Upper Yarra, to Chelsea to Beaumaris.

Stephen explained to the Rotary meeting that Cire Community School focuses on each student as an individual with unique needs; it’s a school of choice for young people who need a positive alternative to mainstream education.

Elise, who has missed many years of formal schooling, explained that Cire understood that challenging behaviour is a reflection of a student’s mental health and wellbeing rather than a desire to ‘act out’.

Elise impressed Rotarians with her maturity and candour and the way she articulated her story, and her determination to pursue a career in social work, drawing on her lived-experience and the challenges she has overcome at such an early age.

In his address at the recent annual changeover function, newly inducted president Ben Vallence emphasised the importance of contributing and giving back to community.

“Giving of yourself is the ultimate gift you can make to another and it’s only through volunteer organisations like Rotary where your giving can have such life changing impact.”

The father of two, he hoped that he and his wife Bridget MP, State Member for Evelyn, were leading by example for their sons with their community involvements:

“To my two beautiful boys, Rory and Emanuel. I know that Rotary might not be the coolest thing in the world for you two, but I want to thank you for your love and support of me undertaking this role. Boys, I know you may not appreciate it now, but I think you know how much your Mum and Dad have tried to set an example of giving back to your community and helping those who most need it.”

In his address, Ben commended Paul Martin, supported by his wife Trish, on his leadership during such a challenging and unprecedented term as president.

“This year’s Rotary message is to ‘Serve to Change Lives’. This message personifies the spirit of our club. Even with all the restrictions and lockdowns that the pandemic brought, our club stayed strong in helping so many in the community,” Ben said.

In 2020, the club:

  • provided more than $3,000 worth of meals as part of a Second Bite program at Wandin for those in need. Warratina Lavender Farm, owned by Rotarian Peter Manders and his wife Annemarie, donated $1500.
  • donated $2,000 to a family whose Wandin home was razed by fire.
  • funded local children to attend Rotary’s Camp Awakenings, and a further six to attend their own school camps and may have otherwise missed out because their families were experiencing financial hardship.
  • provided three children from Woori Yallock with new scooters, to help them get to school and also provide some much needed respite from COVID lockdown and restrictions.
  • delivered books to more than local 400 students as part of the Books in School program.
  • delivered 1,000 bags of apples to local students, donated by Old Oak Orchards, owned by Rotarian Gavan Corbett’s family.
  • Awarded a $2000 scholarship shared by four students at Cire Community School.

Ben said delivering the apples were a highlight for him: “My son Emanuel came running to the car with an apple in one hand yelling, ‘Dad look what Rotary gave us’.

Wandin Rotary welcomes new members. Anyone interested in club membership are invited to contact club president Ben Vallence at benvallence@gmail.com

Pictured: Newly inducted president of Wandin Rotary, Ben Vallence, and his wife Bridget and their sons Rory, 13 and Emanuel, 10.

Click here for further information on Cire Community School and education programs.

 

Anzac biscuit cook up for Rotary

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Cire Community School students have responded to a call out from Wandin Rotary for Anzac biscuits for the club’s community Anzac Day Service.

They eagerly bunkered down in the school’s Hospitality Training Centre at Yarra Junction to bake dozens of Anzac biscuits to serve up at morning tea, following the club’s Anzac Day Service at Wandin.

The students were delighted to support the club which has been hosting the community remembrance for about 20 years. Not only did some of them taste test Anzac biscuits for the first time but the initiative also sparked their interest in Anzac Day and its significance and to share their own family’s connections.

The cook up ticked some additional boxes for students studying for their Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL), satisfying one of the learning outcomes required for their course. One of the VCAL strands is Professional Development Skills (PDS) which aims to develop student knowledge, skills and attributes that lead to self-development and community engagement through family, social, community and environmental responsibilities; resilience, self-esteem and efficacy; and health and wellbeing. This partly involves responding to a need in the community. Their Anzac biscuits were of huge benefit to Wandin Rotary who hosted the morning tea assisted by Wandin CWA and much enjoyed by those who attended, as well as being rewarding for the students.

Cire Community School

(pictured above from left to right; Cire Community School Students Rd, Callum, Tiarna and Bella)

VCAL students commented:

  • It makes me feel great to help out on Anzac Day because my Great Grandmother was a nurse in WW2. I feel like I’m giving something back. It is so great to have our new kitchen (completed in 2020), with the new equipment we have we can improve our skills and do events like this for the community quickly.. Bella (pictured)
  • These opportunities make me feel good knowing that I’m helping in the community. We only come to this campus once a week specifically for this subject, we love the amount of new foods we can explore in this fantastic new space. Tiarna (pictured)
  • My Great Pop was in WW2. By helping bake Anzac biscuits and supporting Wandin Rotary and it being Anzac Day gives me a sense of pride. Ella

One of the baking sessions was timely for a Middle Years mixed class of Years 7 to 9 students. It provided a real life context to a Maths class earlier in the day as they had to work out how many times they had to multiply the recipe to bake the required number of biscuits, as well as work out ingredient quantities.

“The biscuits taste different but still yummy, said Callum (pictured) who was in charge of weighing the butter.

“They taste great. I hope they (Anzac Day attendees) like them,” added classmate “RD” (pictured)

While the history of Anzac biscuits varies, the following is one of the more popular accounts.

During World War I the wives, mothers and girlfriends of the Australian soldiers were concerned for the nutritional value of food being supplied to the troops.

Food was transported across the sea at a maximum speed of ten knots, or 18.5 kph, by ships of the Merchant Navy. Most of these ships did not contain refrigerated facilities, so food had to remain edible for at least two months. That is when the Anzac biscuit was “invented”, based on the Scottish recipe using rolled oats, sugar, plain flour, coconut, butter, golden syrup, bi-carbonate of soda and boiling water. The ingredients did not readily spoil and were easily maintained. Some soldiers also used crushed biscuits to make porridge.

The biscuits initially were called ”soldiers biscuits” but were dubbed Anzac biscuits after the landing on Gallipoli in 1915.

As the war continued, many groups like the Country Women’s Association, churches, schools and other women’s committees made Anzac biscuits to send to the troops.

Cire Services Inc. is one of the first organisational members of Wandin Rotary Club.

Cire welcomes closer partnership with Rotary

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Cire Services and Rotary are strengthening their partnership and reach to help respond to the needs of local communities, particularly younger people.

The initiatives encompass Cire Community School, a recently launched Rotary District 9810 Books for Kids fundraising campaign, and support for Cire Training’s Learn Local (see post on this blog page).

Cire is one of the first two organisational members of Wandin Rotary which has helped foster a greater understanding between the organisations and how closely our values align.

Recently, Wandin Rotary approved scholarships of $1000 each to two students at Cire Community School; enabled a student to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA), a6-day residential program focusing on leadership, personal and professional development and service to the community; and is helping drive mock interview sessions to prepare students for applying for employment.

The scholarship recipients were overawed by the generosity of Rotary and the student about to attend the keenly anticipated leadership camp said it was an opportunity she would never have thought possible.
The mock interviews will commence in earnest in Term 3. The sessions will also enable students to discuss their strengths and relate them to experiences with past work or opportunities provided within the school.
Initial feedback provided by some of the students who participated in mock interviews included:

  • It wasn’t dry and boring
  • It was really good and life-like
  • It made me think about what I need to do to prepare for an interview
  • The print out of questions is good, I can use it to prepare for interviews.

At a broader level, Rotary District 9810, which extends from Port Philip Bay to the hills of the Yarra Ranges, has launched Books for Kids.

The new District Governor, Shia Smart, is driving the Rotary DG Family Project Books for Kids Campaign which aims to identify and fund primary schools that will benefit from being on the Books in Homes program.

Rotary District 9810 together with Books in Homes will provide books-of-choice to children in District 9810 experiencing disadvantaged and low socio-economic circumstances, to ensure crucial early literacy engagement and the development of reading skills needed for lifelong achievement.

Identified children will receive two personally labelled books-of-choice to own and keep in their own personally labelled book bag.  Selected schools will receive a Preview Pack of 48 books to keep.

The campaign to fund the purchase of books was launched on 1 July 2019.

The more money raised, the more children who can receive books.

The books are top quality and brand new, curated for the program by the Books in Homes Book Selection Committee, made up of authors, illustrators, educators, and parents!

If you’d like to read more or make a donation to this fantastic project please go to Rotary District 9810’s GiveNow campaign page.