By BRIDGET COOK
STUDENTS from 49 Casey schools were recognised for the positive contribution they made to the community at the 2013 Holt Community Spirit and Leadership Awards.
Held at the Cranbourne Community Theatre on Tuesday 17 December, more than 200 people turned up at the awards ceremony including award recipients, parents, teachers and family members.
Holt MP Anthony Byrne presented 50 awards to local youths.
Mr Byrne said the awards were run annually to celebrate the positive contributions young people had made in the local community.
“These awards recognise the outstanding contribution made by the students and the difference their hard work and dedication has made to their schools and the wider community,” he said.
“It was a great honour to present these awards on behalf of the community.
“I am very proud of the local community and the inspirational efforts of our kids who are making our community a better place.”
Award winners were nominated by their school and received a framed certificate and gift voucher from Westfield Fountain Gate.
The awards highlighted some of the remarkable young people including Jarryd Simmons, from Lyndhurst Secondary College, who is a member of the Cranbourne CFA.
He joined the CFA as a junior member in 2010 and has learnt how to handle the equipment from the fire hoses to the basic search and rescue gear.
Jarryd has moved up to seniors this year, and this will enable him to go out on the trucks to assist with bushfire fighting, search and rescue.
Another student honoured was Ashlee Willerton, from Rangebank Primary School who took part in her third Relay for Life event this year, a team event dedicated to raising funds for cancer research. She managed to walk 72 laps, over the two days.
2013 Holt Community Spirit and Leadership Awards recipients were: Alkira Secondary College’s Jenna Hutton-Murdoch; Beaconhills College Village Campus’s Laura Doak; Berwick Fields Primary School’s Carmel Sabet-Rasekh; Casey Grammar School’s Sarah Dunstan; Chalcot Lodge Primary School’s Vivek Ravinthiran; Coral Park Primary School’s Courtney Blaschak; Courtenay Gardens Primary School’s Jaymi Muzzicato; Cranbourne East Primary School’s William Bastian; Cranbourne Park Primary School’s Lisa Paxton; Cranbourne Primary School’s Shanay Myloans; Cranbourne West Primary School’s Jacinta Watts; Dandenong Valley School’s Allira Noronha; Don Bosco Primary School’s Emily Ray; Doveton College’s Andrew Lish; Fleetwood Primary School’s Rhys Williamson; Fountain Gate Primary School’s Zohal Meraj; Fountain Gate Secondary College’s Jasmine Gonzalez; Gleneagles Secondary College’s Leeanne Lazos; Hallam Primary School’s Adele Casse; Hallam Senior College’s Stacey Baker; Hampton Park Primary School’s Petual Benham; Heritage College’s Tadiwanashe Danha; Hillcrest Christian College’s Alana Cohen; Hillsmeade Primary School’s Justin Marks; James Cook Primary School’s Mili Drazic; Kambrya College’s Hieu Tran; Kilberry Valley Primary School’s Haylee Dacey; Lynbrook Primary School’s Daniela Osafo Kwaako; Lyndhurst Primary School’s Dylan Carvell; Lyndhurst Secondary College’s Jarryd Simmons; Maramba Primary School’s Aaron Crichton-Nelson; Maranatha Christian School Casey Junior Campus’s Hope Lake; Maranatha Crhistian School Casey Junior Campus’s Amanda Caron; Marnebek School Cranbourne’s Nicholas Manneken; Mary Mackilliop Primary School’s Josephine Lee; Mossgiel Park Primary School’s Izabel Nalbandian; Narre Warren South P-12 College’s Shihan Izzedeen; Nossal High School’s Cherry Chan; Rangebank Primary School’s Ashlee Willerton; River Gum Primary School’s Britney Connolly; Southern Cross Primary School’s Olivia Pygis; St Agatha’s Primary School’s Angelin Tom; St Francis de Sales Primary School’s Cliona Barrientos; St Francis Xavier College – Berwick Campus’s Caitlin Dempsey; St Kevin’s Primary School’s Dilania Benevides; St Paul Apostle North Primary School’s Natasha John; St Paul Apostle South Primary School’s Jade Judd; St Peter’s College Cranbourne West’s Tess Macartney; Strathaird Primary School’s Olivia Antonello; Thomas Mitchell Primary School’s Andre Dababneh.
