Community Service for the Young

Dear Parents,
Modelling good community service to our young children can never start early enough. Showing our young charges that we care about others in the community and do things to help sets a wonderful example. However all to often it is difficult to find age appropriate opportunities for our boys to participate in. However with the recent fires in Victoria have come two perfect opportunities for three and four year olds.

Thanks to Noni Hazelhurst, Borders bookstores are doing their bit for the bushfire appeal. Help your child choose second hand good quality books from your bookshelf that you no longer use or go into borders to choose and purchase a new book to donate. You can ask your son to think about the types of stories he likes at Kindergarten and therefore about the types of books another kindergarten might need. Borders will match the retail price of all donated books up to $200,000, which will go directly to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal.
Borders will donate all books to schools and libraries in fire affected communities. This commences Monday, Feb 23. see more at http://www.borders.com.au/community.asp

The Teddy Bear Drive, instigated by Barbara Braxton in 2003 for the Canberra bushfire is being re launched by school librarians across Australia. They are asking that you collect new (or good quality, clean second hand) teddy bears to send to Lilydale so that they might be able to bring a little joy and comfort into the lives of the children affected by the bush fires. This is a wonderful opportunity to talk to your child about helping another child who has lost their own teddy in the fire. This is a very personal and tangible way for your child to feel as though they have helped. Teddy bears will be distributed via the Relief Centres, initially, and also through Public Libraries in the affected areas. Mt Lilydale Mercy Secondary College, in Lilydale has kindly agreed to be the postal address and a drop off point for the the Appeal.
Please send all bears clearly marked "TEDDY DRIVE" to

Mt. Lilydale Mercy College
120 Anderson Street
Lilydale
VICTORIA 3140