Our learning support and mentoring programs in 90 Australian communities directly help children in need achieve their goals through education.
View all programs The power of community in the face of hardship
30 June 2023
Mother-of-two, Kylie, knows the value of a positive school community, and she does all she can to contribute to building one at the school her boys attend. Kylie is the president of the school council and in charge of fundraising activities.
“I’m heavily involved with my children’s school. I’m on school council and help out with some amazing excursions,” Kylie said.
Kylie’s two boys, Max and Jacob, have been receiving financial support from their sponsors through The Smith Family. This support is especially appreciated at the start of the year when school expenses mount up. It means her boys always kick off the year with all the stationery, clothing and books they need.
This is how all children should start the school year - feeling happy, proud and excited to experience new adventures.
Through his sponsorship, Max also attended the weekly student2student reading program when he was in Year 5. This extra support greatly benefited Max who struggled a little with his reading. He was matched with a peer buddy who offered encouragement and boosted Max’s confidence and now Max is back on track with his reading.
Through the good times and the bad, The Smith Family have been by Kylie’s side offering support and encouragement to her family. Kylie appreciates knowing that Max’s Learning for Life Coordinator Joe is always there. Joe is available to facilitate connections and provide advice on ways in which Max can improve his learning, especially when times get tough like during the school shutdown period.
As we all know, the remote learning period was a tough time for Australians and it was especially felt in Victoria where the lockdowns were longer than elsewhere.
“I took him to the beach on his own to have that one-on-one time. Then he came home and just wanted to write a story about how he felt,” said Kylie.
Max then shared his stories with his teacher and classmates. Max’s peers enjoyed reading his stories and this helped everyone feel less isolated. Max is a natural at writing but for him and his mum, mathematics is more difficult.
Kylie found that she could help her sons with literacy but struggled with numeracy. Given how much school work has changed over the years, helping young people with homework is something many parents struggle with. To gain confidence in developing Max’s numeracy skills, Kylie participated in The Smith Family Let’s Count program.
“It helped me because maths has changed since we went to school. When the boys come home with maths homework, I know all the basics now, so I can help my boys,” Kylie shared.
Through providing tailored educational programs and financial assistance, we create an environment of support and understanding. As we all know, when people come together to support one another, they can create a community of compassion, care and understanding. It is not surprising then that such a strong and resilient community has now emerged in the school Kylie’s boys attend.
Thank you to our sponsors for helping make this possible!
