Federal Member for Grey Rowan Ramsey has congratulated the Crystal Brook Primary School on winning two prizes in the 2017 Anzac Day School Awards.
The awards are a nationwide schools competition encouraging the study of Australia’s wartime history and the commemoration of Australian servicemen and women on Anzac Day.
Crystal Brook Primary School won the state award in the Primary School category and also won in the special category of Community Involvement.
The school will receive a certificate of achievement and a prize of $3,000 in total ($2,000 for the state primary category and $1,000 for the special category).
“I am delighted Crystal Brook Primary School has been recognised in these awards,” Mr Ramsey said.
“The school displayed great initiative and creativity in the way they commemorated Anzac Day, helping students to understand more deeply the significance of our wartime history and the sacrifices of those who have served.”
A group of upper primary students at Crystal Brook Primary School created a Student ANZAC Committee to focus on remembering the local fallen in WWI at the school ANZAC Day commemorations.
Committee co-ordinator Davina Bellman said she was delighted the school had been recognised in the awards for the second time.
“These students spent many lunchtimes researching the history of the ANZACs and the Gallipoli Campaign.
“From this they established a list of 31 local fallen soldiers from WW1 and gathered photographs for most of those soldiers.
“The committee then decided to create a Memorial Garden at the school where the names of the local fallen would be engraved in a path. It was to be a place of remembrance, connection to our past and reflection for the students, but also the school community.
“Our official opening of the ANZAC Memorial Garden ran alongside a commemorative service for ANZAC Day which was organised and led by our SRC Leaders and ANZAC Committee with a large crowd of invited guests, community members and staff and students.
“The school and community are so proud of what the ANZAC Committee and whole school have achieved.”
Mr Ramsey congratulated the committee who under Mrs Bellman’s guidance created such a lasting tribute to the local soldiers who lost their lives in WWI
“As a nation it is important that we never forget the service and sacrifice of the men and women who serve in defence of our country.
“We keep their memory alive by instilling respect for our wartime history in our future generations and the Crystal Brook Primary School has set a shining example of this.”
Minister for Veterans ‘Affairs Dan Tehan said 79 schools nationwide had entered the Anzac Day School Awards, as he made special mention of Crystal Brook primary School.
“I commend the students, teachers and school community at Crystal Brook Primary School for the respect they have shown our veterans and those Australians who have paid the ultimate sacrifice,” Mr Tehan said.
State Winner Primary School Category– Crystal Brook Primary School
Special Category Winner
Brigadier Bill Rolfe AO Best Veteran & Community Involvement – Crystal Brook Primary School
Media contact: Leonie Lloyd-Smith 08 8633 1744
October 12 2017
