Four students at South Australia’s Morphett Vale East School were presented with the ‘Aussie of the Month’ Award by 2022 SA Local Hero and leading lymphoedema patient advocate, Monique Bareham, with the school’s year two students setting their sights on becoming future ‘Circular Champions’.
“I am delighted to pay a visit to Morphett Vale East and present Penny, Ruth, Jimmy and Elana with the Aussie of the Month Awards for their impressive contribution to the school’s core values of respect, persistence, optimism and honesty,” Bareham says.
Year six students Jimmy Koller and Elana Brown, year five student Ruth Kayee Smith and Reception student Penny Harder were honoured for showcasing the important values that Bareham says “form the foundation of building strong connections within community, foster understanding and inclusion and are at the heart of the work I do to improve the lives of those living with lymphoedema”, which is a chronic (ongoing) swelling that affects the body’s soft tissues.
About Aussie of the Month
The Aussie of the Month awards are seen as the younger sibling to the prestigious Australian of the Year Awards. The national student recognition program for primary schools rewards personal endeavour, achievement, and contribution to community, and reflects what award organisers describe as Australian values – fair go, mateship, respect and inclusion.
The awards run from February to November each year, and schools from regional, rural and remote areas are encouraged to get involved. Students are recognised at their school assembly and are presented with an Aussie of the Month certificate, lapel pin, stationery prize and bookmark. The program is delivered by the Australia Day Council national network in partnership with the Department of Home Affairs.
In 2024, Aussie of the Month celebrates 20 years of partnership with Pilot Pen Australia, which has seen Aussie of the Month students receive a stationery gift as part of their award. To mark this milestone anniversary, Aussie of the Month and Pilot Pen Australia are launching a national primary schools’ competition, ‘Circular Champions’, with $20,000 worth of stationery prizes up for grabs.
Reducing plastic waste
“Circular Champions invites students to demonstrate mateship and respect when working together to develop an innovative way of re-using plastic bottles. It’s a great way to contribute to the circular economy by saving on plastic waste and is part of our ongoing commitment to encourage people to refill their pens when the ink runs out,” says Pilot Pen head of marketing, Jarrad Murray.
At Morphett Vale East School, the lead-up to the awards announcement saw the year two students research, design and create unique ways to recycle more than 60 water bottles, creating innovative designs, including bird feeders, space machines, ten-pin bowling games and rain gauges.
“The students worked incredibly hard to produce their entry and they have done such a great job whilst demonstrating how they worked together as a team and enacting our commitment to programs that develop an understanding of sustainability and community connection,” school principal Carolyn Mildrum says.
Schools keen to participate in the Circular Champions primary schools’ competition before the 20 September 2024 closing date can register for Aussie of the Month.
