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the ruyton reporter
From our Girls’ Perspective
Community Service
Community Service has been a corner-stone of what we do at Ruyton, reflecting
the values and compassion we strive to emulate. Senior School Community Service
Co-ordinator, Mrs Nicole Barrah, supports the work of the Community Service
committee, ably run by Year 12 Captain
Grace Zimmerman.
The concept of giving back to the community not only helps those in need, but also
provides volunteers with a sense of awareness and gratitude for their own privileges
in life. The programmes put in place by Ruyton promote and support community
service initiatives, in order to contribute positively to the area in which we live.
The creation of a Community Service Committee within the School, comprised of four
girls from each year level, supports girls who are passionate about and interested in,
this area, allowing them to organise events and initiatives to support and contribute
to worthy causes. Initiatives this year have included the Salvation Army’s Red Shield
Appeal, where girls were encouraged to collect donations for the Salvation Army
by a local door-knock on a Sunday morning. Girls across the School willingly gave of
their time to ensure that this appeal was a success. Another important event was
the Community Service Day in Term 1. We chose to support Refugees, Survivors and
Ex-Detainees (RISE). This is an organisation focused on supporting refugees in the
Melbourne community. Girls from each year level donated food items, as well as
raising money to be donated to the cause. We managed to raise over $2500, and
accumulated plenty of food boxes to donate to RISE. RISE is the first and only refugee
and asylum seeker welfare and advocacy organisation in Australia entirely governed
by refugees, asylum seekers, and ex-detainees. By taking such steps not only are we
promoting the plight of those less-fortunate, but also we can serve our community
in a meaningful way. In Term 3 over 100 girls participated in the Girls’ Night In,
watching
High Street Musical.
Over $1400 was raised, with all proceeds going towards
UN Women’s Market for Change programme, which seeks to enhance the capabilities
of women in developing countries.
Ruyton is known for its connected and generous community. There are many ways in which
our girls engage in social justice.Whether it is in community service, sustainability, learning
about human rights or performing in a production to support indigenous education, our girls
have demonstrated compassion and the ability to make a difference.
Sustainability
Sustainability at Ruyton is well-established and
thriving. Senior School Sustainability Co-ordinator,
Ms Jacinta Greer, works closely with Sustainability
Captain, Kathleen Hanson, and the team to work
together to help the School make a real difference to
the environment. Year 12 student,
Rachel Baillie,
talks
about her experience as a member of this team.
As this is my last year at Ruyton I decided it was
time to try something new. Kathleen Hanson, the
Sustainability Captain, invited me to join the
Sustainability committee, and being part of the team
has opened my eyes to some of the environmental problems
plaguing both our community and the wider world. The Students for
Sustainability team allows girls of all ages to work together and be part of several
unique programmes. One such example of our beyond School activities was our
involvement in Clean Up Australia Day. A group of girls, one Trinity boy and Ms Greer
met at Studley Park Boathouse for Clean Up Australia Day. We walked around Yarra
Boulevard and Dights Falls collecting any paper scraps, bottles and miscellaneous
rubbish we stumbled upon. Kathleen provided great leadership and conversation,
as we tallied up a points system of who collected the most rubbish. Despite the heat
and long walk, the trip was very fulfilling. Another important event, in partnership
with the Friends of Back Creek in Camberwell, is National Tree Planting Day. This is
a rewarding opportunity as the team returns to the site annually, and can see the
impact that has been made by previous plantings.
The Sustainability Team has also made
a great impact at Ruyton by getting the
School involved in environmental
projects such as World Environment
Day; we sold quirky tote bags to send
out a sustainability message about
not using plastic bags; we encouraged
the use of reusable water bottles to
promote the message of not using
disposable bottles, which pollute our
environment; we distribute recycling
bins to each classroom, place posters
around the School reminding people to
turn off the lights, collect used batteries
so they do not end up in landfill and
establish worm farms. Sustainability in
the Senior School brings together girls
from Year 7 to Year 12, as we work
together to help out our planet. United,
we can all make a difference.