Last week at Tamar Sunrise we learnt many things about Industrial Hemp and how it is grown in Tasmania.  Thanks to Howard Nichol from DPIPWE who provided such an interesting talk.  We also had ADG Dale Luck visit and we inducted our newest member Susan Nolan - fantastic and welcome!

This week at Tamar Sunrise - its our fun activity and its a BOOK!  

Last year this was a hit with members, we looked over the short listings for books for children and made a selection for our Books for Kinder project.  In preparation for literacy week, this is such a fun activity where we see the creativity of children's authors and illustrators - thanks to Susan Dolbey for the preparation and leading the fun!  

Make sure you are up for the Sunrise....come along at 7am and enjoy the enlightening experience!

To compliment our Books for Kinder program, the wonderful Clare proposed to the Club that we sell Entertainment Books to raise enough money to provide a good quality book prize to end of year Grade 6 students at Rocherlea and Mayfield Primary Schools.

The club sold enough books to raise the $100 required for two prizes valued at $50 each and the schools were given the brief to choose a student – not for the academic ability, but for their community mindedness and consideration for the school and their peers.

Clare and I attended the school presentation assemblies on 20th and 21st December (respectively) and to say we were impressed with the standard of the schools and their students, is an understatement.
Rocherlea peppered their impressive line up of awards presentations with an enthusiastic rendition of the Advance Australia Fair, two very confident Grade 5’ers who compared and an amazing musical performance of Taiko Drumming which made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. By the time they presented the Graduation Packs and the Grade 6 students exited in a line – I was feeling quite emotional, even though I didn’t know any of them!

Mayfield was another outstanding presentation of Awards and we were both particularly impressed with the young Grade 6 Leaver, Jonathan, who responded to the Principal’s Address. They ran a short film produced by the school showing how the kids had grown, their achievements, goals and ambitions. That was another emotional event watching all the Grade 6’ers file out after being presented with their Leavers Packs, falling into each other’s arms in the corridor and weeping.

Clare and I were impressed with both schools and enjoyed being guests at their presentations. Oh and by the way, the winners of the Tamar Sunrise Community Awards were –

- Sian (pronounced Cheyanne) Mansell from Rocherlea 
- Jordy Dudman from Mayfield

What a wonderful initiative of Clare’s and thank you to each and every member of the club who purchased an Entertainment Book to enable this Award to happen. I hope you’re all using your vouchers and saving money on your groceries, so that you will be motivated to purchase next year’s book when they become available.

Judy McLean
Community Director – 2011/12