The Catholic Leader - 7 May

18 / 28

18
The Catholic Leader, May 7, 2017
Education + religion
Anzac line-
up: Corpo-
ral Daniel
Bromley
and War-
rant Officer
James
Keller with
some of
the young
students
at Our
Lady of
the Rosary
School,
Kenmore,
during the
school’s
Anzac Day
celebra-
tion.
Star-studded Anzac event
Special
interest:
Students
at Our
Lady of
the Rosary
School,
Kenmore,
are par-
ticularly
interested
in seeing
the bomb
disposal
robot
that army
personnel
brought
along dur-
ing their
visit to the
school for
Anzac Day
celebra-
tions.
ARMY personnel, priests and
politicians joined staff, students and
parents at Our Lady of the Rosary
(OLR) School, Kenmore, for a
special Anzac Day assembly to help
students recognise and understand
the service and sacrifice of Austral-
ia’s defence personnel.
OLR parish priest Fr Mark Franklin, Federal
Member for Ryan Jane Prentice, State Member
for Moggill Dr Christian Rowan and Pullen-
vale Councillor Kate Richards joined guests of
honour Major Laurie Hall (retired) and Warrant
Officer James Keller, 6th Engineering Support
Regiment, and service personnel from the 6th
engineering support regiment.
Warrant Officer Keller, a father of two OLR
students, shared his personal perspectives on his
service to his country, and on being a dad in the
defence force.
The children were impressed with his stories
of missions at home and abroad.
His experiences span Afghanistan and Iraq,
but most recently Far North Queensland, where
he was deployed with his engineering regiment
to assist in the disaster management and clean-
up in the wake of Cyclone Debbie’s devastation.
But the stars of the show were undoubtedly
the bomb disposal robot and army vehicles on
show for the children.
The armoured vehicle brought along by the
6th Engineering Support Regiment provided stu-
dents a thrilling close encounter with a vehicle
otherwise only experienced in video games.
The STEM (Science, Technology, Engineer-
ing and Maths) club relished the chance to see
a real-life bomb disposal robot and took the
soldiers through their paces with their barrage of
questions.
Warrant Officer Keller said he enjoyed being
involved in the commemorations at OLR.
“After all, it is the same community that pro-
vides such extraordinary support to my wife and
children when I am on deployment, so this was
my way of giving something back to the OLR
school community,” he said.
“I’m just glad the children had fun and got to
take something valuable away from the morning,
even if it was the robot who stole the show.”
Principal Andrew Oberthur said recognising
the service and sacrifice of Australia’s defence
personnel and supporting defence families was
important to the school community.
“Today’s event has been so powerful and has
left a lasting impression on our whole school
community,” he said.
Everyone at St Augustine’s takes national day seriously
ST Augustine’s School, Currumbin Waters, joined
schools across Brisbane archdiocese to commemo-
rate Anzac Day with a special tribute.
Every student and staff member was given a
poppy and a tag. On each tag were messages of
love and hope for peace in our world as well as the
names of relatives and friends who were past or
current members of Australia’s defence forces.
Each tag was then attached to letters to spell out
“Anzac Day” for display in the school’s central
courtyard.
Assistant principal for religious education Diane
Anderson said the central courtyard was a place
where all students, staff and parents gathered each
morning.
She said the display became a focal point every
day with students from all year levels looking at
and reading the names and messages displayed.
“It is hoped that by engaging every member of
the school in a unifying activity we can bring about
a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere,” she said.
Ms Anderson said students from the school
were also invited to lay wreaths at the dawn
service at Elephant Rock, Galleon Gardens RSL
Retirement Village and the mid-morning service at
the Currumbin RSL club.
She said on the eve of Anzac Day the Year 4
class led the whole school through a ceremony
which they had spent many hours rehearsing.
“The children take their role very seriously as
they recognise the significant contribution our
armed services members make every day,” she said.
Paying
tribute:
St Au-
gustine’s
students
created
a special
tribute to
cele-
brate the
102nd
anni-
versary
of the
Anzac
landings
at Gal-
lipoli.