They say it takes a village to raise a child, and at Dookie Primary School, it takes a community to help a school thrive.
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On any given day, the hum of learning is matched by the quiet rhythm of community spirit, from the Men’s Shed volunteers rolling up their sleeves to the helping hands of Lions Club of Dookie members in the kitchen and garden.
Here’s what some of the volunteers had to say about going back to school.
Dookie RSL sub-branch
Ruth Horton
I’m involved in Anzac Day and Remembrance Day services, held just down the street.
The kids march down, and they are part of the ceremony, reciting poems and buying badges.
The school’s been excellent. They’ve really integrated the importance of RSL, Remembrance Day, and especially Anzac Day.
ANZAC spirit is being supported by a lot of youths around the district, especially in the country, where you’ve got more immediate access to grandparents who have served.
Community is paramount here at Dookie. The kids can see and feel the cohesion and the inclusivity of a small town, and it’s important for them to be a growing part of our society.
As far as the RSL goes, there’s more and more emphasis on returned soldiers, which instils in the kids a reverence for service and an awareness of the sacrifices and history of the Navy, Army and Air Force.
Dookie Men’s Shed
David Risk
David Risk.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
I’ve been with the Dookie Men’s Shed for just over 12 months.
I got involved because the guys asked me; they needed a hand.
I was going through a tough time in my life, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.
The shed already had programs for kids, and after a few visits, I decided to stay.
Since then, they’ve put me in charge of coming up with ideas for what the kids can make.
When I first started, we supplied them the timber already cut, and basically, all they had to do was sand and assemble it.
They were doing it that quick, we’d run out of ideas!
We’ve kept challenging them and we’ve built model aeroplanes, boxes, and a pull-along frog.
Seeing the excitement on their faces when they finish a project, and it works, their faces just light up.
The guys at the Men’s Shed have really made a difference to a lot of these kids.
Lions Club of Dookie
Enid Richards and Marie Thorp
Enid Richards and Marie Thorp.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
We’re with the Stephanie Alexander program, so on Mondays, the kids alternate between cooking and gardening each week.
We come along and assist the students – teach them how to read recipes, how careful you have to be with measurements, and everything in the garden, from planting and weeding to mulching.
It can be quite comedic too, because they tell us, ‘You look like a grandma, so you must be’ and they’ll guess our age is 37, and we’ll say ‘Yes!’
We enjoy their friendship, and I think we get more out of it than the kids do.
Cooking and gardening, it’s passing on skills, connecting, all those things.
The school staff are very appreciative.
They give us good feedback, speak very highly of us volunteers, and they always welcome us into the school, as do the children.
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