A young boy who told his teachers he wanted to sell sheep manure has triggered a chain of events that led to his school developing an entrepreneurial way of engaging with students.
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This week the Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT announced St Joseph's Primary School in Uralla was the recipient of the 2020 Roger O'Sullivan Memorial Award for family, school and community partnerships for learning.
The genesis of the St Joseph's School Sheep Manure Business and School Garden Project was in 2016 after the school identified a need to further support students' learning needs by involving them in a practical yet meaningful project.
While participation in the Sheep Manure Business is open to any students wishing to join, the core group is usually those students whose learning needs an added boost," said St Joseph's Primary School principal Judy Elks.
"The business operates with a student CEO under the guidance of a teacher's aide who assists the group in communicating with their customers and organising collection and delivery of bags of sheep manure.
"The students learn about keeping track of expenses and ensuring that there is a profit which can then be donated back to the school."
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The Snack Patch Garden fully funded by the profits from the sheep manure business, enables students to pick and eat healthy snacks such as strawberries, snow peas and beans during breaks, and harvest fresh produce to take home for their family.
The judging panel said this genuinely collaborative community partnership is an excellent example of parent engagement benefiting student outcomes.
Parents and parishioners assist the project by sourcing shearing sheds for collection of manure and assisting with deliveries.
"The sheep manure business has been a valuable learning tool," teacher Mary Hull said.
"It connects the participating students to the community, the students have learnt how to express themselves in phone calls, conversations and letters of thanks.
"Most of all, it has contributed to their self-esteem and value of self-worth in being able to delve into a real-life project."
In recognition of the high standard of submissions this year the judging panel recommended two new awards.
These went to St Catherine's Catholic College, Singleton who received the Highly Commended Award while an Encouragement Award was given to St Joseph's Primary School, Laurieton.
Peter Grace, Executive Director Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT, thanked the judging panel and congratulates all communities for their initiatives to improve student learning outcomes.