To Share and Serve
To Share and Serve
October 25, 2018 at 4:09 PM
Our Saint Kentigern schools share and enjoy a number of partnerships with schools that are less fortunate than our own, in communities both at home and abroad. Whether it's the donation of goods, services or the gift of time, our students treasure these opportunities to be of service to others, especially when it entails meeting and spending time with other students and learning to appreciate ways they can be of help.
One relationship currently being fostered is between the Boys' School and Te Kohanga School, a small rural school in Port Waikato. Recently, a group of boys had the opportunity to travel south to be part of their Agricultural Day – a day when the soil is turned and farm animals are on parade to be judged. Our boys assisted with games throughout the day, awarded prizes and ensured they were part of the clean up at the end. Chaplain to the Schools, Reverend Reuben Hardie said it was a glorious day in the country and a wonderful chance for the boys to experience being part of a rural community.
Year 8 student, Harrison Pullman reports:
I was fortunate to be part of a group of eleven boys who went to Te Kohanga School in Port Waikato to help out at their Agricultural Day. We experienced many different things in the countryside, at school that was very different from our own.
When we got there, they were weighing and counting who had grown the most potatoes. We learnt that with this plant, you never know how many or how big the potatoes will be until you dig them up, and if you water them too much, they turn to gooey liquid.
After that they brought in their animals to do a competition. There were four categories: sheep, goats, chickens and horses. The animals were judged on the look and the obedience of the farm animal and won ribbons for their places. The winning chicken was called KFC!
Later, we organised soccer, cricket and rugby games for the students to participate in - it was fantastic seeing everyone taking part with smiles on their faces. Lastly, the dads baked cakes and won prizes for the best design and then auctioned them off - one cakes sold for $130 and one looked like pig having a mud bath!
The school was from Year 1 to Year 6 and only had a small number of students who live in the surrounding country. They work hard to produce lots of their own food compared to us in the city who simply go to the shops to buy it. Overall it was a great experience seeing the other side of Auckland and the different lifestyles people live.
