General News
9 September, 2021
Terang College delivers hundreds of care packages
HUNDREDS of care packages have been sent out to the families in the Terang College community to help keep students connected during strict COVID-19 lockdowns which have closed schools.
HUNDREDS of care packages have been sent out to the families in the Terang College community to help keep students connected during strict COVID-19 lockdowns which have closed schools.
Terang College staff were hard at work this week, putting together more than 210 care packages to be delivered to families.
Terang College principal Kath Tanner said the care packages included items to help keep the students engaged.
Each package included a ‘cookie in a jar,’ with a jar full of all the ingredients to make fresh cookies, which just need the wet ingredients added, and a booklet full of positive messages from teachers to families and students.
The packages also held a sunflower theme, with a colour-in sunflower design for students to fill in, and a repurposed pot with soil and sunflower seeds ready to plant.
“That’s just a special gift from us,” Mrs Tanner said.
“It’s more about the gesture, I think. It all links and give us an opportunity to connect.
“We wanted to do something to support our families, who we know have all been feeling the pressures of lockdown – particularly this time around.”
Mrs Tanner said the inspiration behind the care packages was the hope of bringing a smile to students and their families.
“Our hope was to give them that moment of joy where they get something they aren’t expecting and it fills them with excitement,” she said.
“It’s always lovely getting a gift, so our thinking is to try and brighten up their day with something they can do – they can make the cookies, do the colouring in and do the planting of the sunflowers to connect it back in to the school.
“We wanted to reach out and show our support.”
Mrs Tanner said it had been a difficult time for students with remote learning producing mixed results for students.
“We’ve got students who are really struggling and finding it really hard to keep going, but we’re pushing through,” she said.
“We’ve really upped our programs this time around and we believe that with the continuation of these lockdowns and extensions, we don’t want to jeopardise their education.
“Our learning program is quite rigorous, so the kids are online pretty much the whole day from years 5-12, doing their classes as if they were at school. Prep to 4 students have three live lessons each day and additional work.
“I think we’re showing we’re serious in not wanting student’s learning to suffer and we have to keep working through this.”
Terang College staff had begun the process of packing delivering the packages to families earlier this week, making trips on Monday and Tuesday to ensure nobody misses out.
“We’re very appreciative to the staff at our school, who are willing to do a little bit extra to show the families they care,” Mrs Tanner said.
“We’re very lucky to have them.”
