School Fete
Originally published in 2009
Today was our school fete. Fitzroy Community School fetes are different to other school fetes in a couple of important ways – our focus and organisation. The organisation of fetes at FCS is done by the children – they organise who will bring what, and who will staff the stalls. As a result, our fetes are much smaller than other school fetes, and much simpler, with around ten stalls: cakes, biscuits, bric-a-brac, count the lollies in the jar, throw the rings, a milkshake stall and maybe hair spray and face painting.
The children also organise the promotion – they make the signs (usually drawn by texta or crayon) and put them up around the school. They then man the stalls and collect piles of coins over the 90 minutes that it runs for. At the end of the day, they total the money (it usually comes in at about $800), and this is then given to our sister school, Enling Primary School in Kunming, China. It costs approximately $150 to send a child to school there for a year, so our fete allows us to sponsor five children and also supply the school with some sports equipment and the odd bit of stationery.
This sponsorship totally changes the lives of those who are sponsored. Our sister school caters for the poor and destitute, and our contribution allows children who would not normally be able to go to school to attend. This gives meaning to our fetes and shows the children that they can make a real difference. Their efforts allow children of their age the option of a school education.
I hope this lesson will stay with them for life—the realization that they can make a difference. I love the simple, happy energy of our fetes and enjoy the thought that they can bring such a powerful lesson.
Yours,
Timothy Berryman (Principal)