Carlton thanks all its volunteers

THANKED: Volunteers and ancillary staff enjoy morning tea at Carlton School. PICTURE / PAUL BROOKS

As the school year draws to a close, the administration and staff at Carlton School hold a regular event.
To thank all the volunteers who enabled things to happen during and outside school hours, they put on a morning tea to thank them.
Last Wednesday staff, volunteers, ancillary staff and all assembled in the school hall for a short speech and a catered get-together.
School board chairman Stuart Lindsay did the speech honours.
He thanked the volunteers who helped the school throughout the year, enabling the school to provide extra-curricular activities for the students.
"On behalf of our staff and the board, morning tea is a way of saying thank you very much for our community. Thank you."
Volunteers include people who give up their time to assist the school in some way, such as those who attend camp with the classes to make up the adult to student ratio.
"We use the Boys and Girls Gym Club and the badminton facilities [at Springvale Park] and we walk classes there so parents have to come with us to help students cross all the roads," says school principal Gaye O'Connor. "We have to cancel sessions if there are no parents available."
There's also a group called CIA - Carlton in Action - which runs all the school fundraising.
"Then we have parents who come in and do classes with the kids ... somebody's good at weaving. We've had somebody come in and show them how to make a bag for their togs ..."
There are volunteers like Len Cannon, a retired teacher who has kept up his teacher registration so he can come in and teach special groups in numeracy, literacy and other essential skills. At the morning tea he informed Gaye he is available to help out again next year.
"Parents also run the road patrol," says Gaye. "Out in all weather, putting up with abuse from drivers, people driving straight through the crossing ..."
Those motorists are reported to police for dangerous driving.
Gaye says Fitzie's Bakery and Café provide school lunches for the school to sell, which helps with fundraising. "They also give us vouchers to award to player of the day at sports events. They've been supporting us for years now.
"Without that and all our volunteers, we couldn't be the school we are. So much would not happen."
Stuart Lindsay, himself an accountant, says the members of the school board bring with them skills and expertise as well as experience.
"The principal/board/chair relationship is key to how well the school is going to function," says Gaye.