By Brendan Rees
Students of all-abilities at the Foundation Learning Centre in Narre Warren tucked into some tasty party pies after hosting a Biggest Morning Tea to raise funds for the Cancer Council.
It was the first time the students of the life skills for community living class organised the event which was attended by 11 people on Thursday 23 May.
“This was a tremendous achievement for the class members as they took ownership of the event – they were responsible for organising the food and staff invitations,” Clea Nicol, Literacy coordinator, said.
“They also demonstrated their public speaking skills when welcoming the guests and thanking them for participating.
“They showed pride in what they had achieved. Our aim is to help them to realise how these skills can be transferred to the workplace,” Ms Nicol added.
She said the event, which raised $20, also helped students develop practical skills such as planning, organising, teamwork, taking initiative and self-management, and literacy and numeracy skills.
Literacy Educator, Wayne Stevens said he was proud of his class for planning and running the morning tea. “Our class is focused on the abilities of our students rather than their disabilities. They can’t wait until next year to host the event again and are looking forward to inviting many more guests,” he said.
The students said the event was a fun exercise. “I liked decorating the classroom; it was fun. It was good to raise money to help people with cancer,” one student said.
