Ready to rock with Telstra money: back row, music teachers Denise Smith and Jerome Gardiner; middle row, Abby, Aisake, Omed, Afia, Trent, Mina, Claire and Myles; front row, Michael, Rebecca, Kane and Nick.32543 Picture: Meagan Rogers
By Lia Bichel
STUDENTS at Berwick Kindergarten and Southern Cross Primary Schools will benefit from a $1200 Telstra Kids Fund grant.
Southern Cross Primary principal Averil Moore said the money would be used to further the school’s extensive music program.
“We have a choir, rock band and keyboard lessons,” she said.
“We are looking at buying some portable keyboards or more percussion instruments with the money.”
Ms Moore said the school put a large emphasis on music because it helped students expand their creativity and provided an outlet for them to learn and explore.
“We feel delighted and extremely lucky to be given the money.”
City of Casey children’s services manager Colette McMahon said the Telstra grant received at the Berwick Kindergarten would be used to enhance the outdoor environment at the facility.
“This will include revitalising the garden patch with new plantings and further improve some mounds and drainage,” she said.
She said the City of Casey was committed to enhancing the outdoor areas of its kindergartens by providing sustainable environments for children.
The two groups are among 625 local not-for-profit organisations across Australia that will share in over $725,000 of Telstra’s Kids Fund grants from the Telstra Foundation this year.
Telstra Foundation chairman and Olympic gold medallist, Herb Elliott, congratulated the organisations on the grants and said the funds will help provide children with an opportunity to develop their talents and skills at a key stage in their lives.
“By injecting funds into projects that help children and young people connect with their local communities, we can help make a difference to their future,” he said.
