By Rachel Curry
Children have learnt about the messages of Lent in an innovative new way at Our Lady of Fatima Primary School in Palmyra, which introduced ‘Rice Days’ to give students a taste of what it is like to go without.
Held every Friday during the six weeks of Lent, the Rice Days offered students the option of bringing in a gold coin donation, which went towards Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion appeal, in exchange for a bowl of white rice for lunch.
Our Lady of Fatima P&F President Natasha Shepherd said the idea for the Rice Days came from parents, who wanted to revive a similar initiative held under the previous principal.
“The parents really wanted to bring it back as a good way of opening up a dialogue with the kids about Project Compassion and where their money’s going, especially for the younger kids,” she said.
“I have a six year old and it is a good way to explain some of the important messages of Lent.”
Mrs Shepherd added that, by paying for the privilege to eat rice, the children learnt why their donations to the Project Compassion Appeal were important.
“I think it’s a much better way to help them understand that there are kids in other countries that are less fortunate and that may be all they have to eat, or they may even have to go without,” she said.
Our Lady of Fatima Principal Paul Hansen said when the P&F suggested the idea, he was concerned about the logistics of feeding a large proportion of the school’s 250 students at once.
However, with the help of parents, who volunteered to cook and clean up, and the Year 6 leadership group, who served the rice to their fellow students, everything ran smoothly.
“It’s happened because of the P&F, it really was driven by them and it’s certainly given the children the opportunity to learn some significant messages through it, including the idea of fasting during Lent,” he said.
Mr Hansen added the initiative was particularly timely given it was the 50th anniversary of Caritas Australia and the school wanted to do something special with its fundraising efforts.
However, Mrs Shepherd said the P&F would be open to continuing the Rice Days in future Lenten seasons, with the continued support of the school and parents.
She explained that between 75 and 90 students had been participating each week, from Pre-Primary through to Year 6, and they had raised a total of $600.
The Rice Days also offered a chance for families to get more involved with the school, she said.
“The rice has been donated from families and we have had parents come in and we’ve even had grandparents come in, which is great,” Mrs Shepherd said.
“It’s good to have that connection; the kids love having them there.”