10 October 2019
You’re helping communities in Mackay to soar
Posted in Chaplaincy / School life / SU QLD
Throwing the perfect paper-plane has been a beloved past-time for generations. Over the years, many school classrooms, playgrounds and gymnasiums have hosted these epic battles as students try to combine a perfect wing-fold with seamless aerodynamics. No easy feat!
Each year, the inter-school Mackay Paper Plane Competition is an opportunity for chaplains and students to come together and cheer each other on in their victories.
The initiative was designed to encourage kids to practice their throwing skills in an afternoon of healthy competition and earto-ear grins, but the Chappy Week promotion has grown into a competition that students talk about year round.
“The point is to have fun and include the kids who might not run a marathon perfectly, but still want to feel part of a team,” Chappy Sally says.
“Part of why I love my job is that I get to meet people in the moment that they’re in. Even though flying paper-planes is a fairly light-hearted activity, it shows the kids that I’m there for them.”
“And don’t underestimate the kids. I’ve been doing this for four years, and the record distance from a student is 30 metres!”
There are seven different schools who participate yearly, with the top three kids from Grades 4, 5 and 6 receiving prizes of movie tickets and pizza vouchers, which proved a real hit with the students.
“It’s important to have events like this because it brings a whole community together. We get to compete against friends and meet new people,” explains Ethan Taylor, one of the participating students.
“I like that we all get to have fun together.”
Sometimes, it’s those little triumphs, like cheering as your paper-plane soars through the air, which paves the way for achievements of even greater heights.
Your support for school chaplaincy is bringing communities together. Thank you!
To find out more about how you too can support the work of school chaplaincy, visit suqld.org.au/donate
