Rm 15 did something a bit different for our SVA project. Instead of cleaning, they decided to fundraise and give something back to the homeless. We wrote letters to the principal and the students came up with their own ideas to fundraise.

The students ran a school disco, school lunch bbq, sold iceblocks, and set up stalls of nail polish painting. They fundraised over $700 and then bought items from the Warehouse and New World, in which they made up gift packs for the homeless. We also had a shared lunch with the homeless on our behalf.

A great experience. So proud of our students here at Kaikohe East School.

We have thoroughly enjoyed being part of SVA. The children have thought about, planned and untaken lots of mini projects in the classroom and around the school in preparation for a larger project. SVA gave them the skills and resources to be able to do this independently. It enables them to think of all aspects involved in a project. In a community like ours, this resource has made a mind shift for these children, and hopefully their families, that they can be proactive and can give back to our community through volunteering. These students felt a boost in their mana because they could plan and carry out these projects without the teacher organising it all. They also felt that even though they are young, they can still make a contribution.

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We have loved running our cafe once a week this term feeding those children with no lunch. We have learnt so much about running a cafe from writing menus, taking orders and making food fast. We have fed lots of hungry tummies and look forward to continuing this project.