Trevallyn Madness

The following articles are taken from Trevallyn Madness, a special edition newsletter produced and distributed by students from Trevallyn Primary School in October 2007. ruMAD? was run as part of the grade 5 program by teachers Peg Smith and Janine Davis. Students from Launceston College assisted with some of the projects.

By Sophie Todman and Isobel Mortimer-Roberts

Grade 5 students at Trevallyn Primary School have decided to try and make a difference in their local community. They have joined many other schools around Tasmania and become part of the statewide ruMAD? project. ruMAD is an acronym for “Are You Making A Difference?” ruMAD is a values focused project designed to help students make a difference and become active citizens in their local community. After listening to a variety of guest speakers from local community organisations such as the RSPCA, Rotary and the Native Wildlife Carers’ group, the Grade 5 students from Trevallyn Primary teamed up with students from Launceston College and together they decided upon how they wanted to make a difference in their local community. To find out about the exciting projects they have undertaken, see pages 2 and 3!

Aiding St. Giles
By Georgia Barr

 Isobel, Kate, Emily, Micky, Annie, Georgia and two students from Launceston College are making a difference by helping to raise money for St. Giles. They are selling raffle tickets to students at Trevallyn Primary. They are raising money because they think disabled children don’t get the same sort of life as they do and they want to help them. The first prize in the raffle is a basket of assorted lollies and biscuits and the second prize is a big bag of lollies. The students are going to go and visit St. Giles on the September 6, the last day of Term 2. They are getting there in the Launceston College mini van. When they get there they are going to meet the children, talk and play with them and make some cards for them. Over the past weeks they have been making some posters to advertise their raffle. In October there is going to be a big day when all the schools that have been doing ruMAD come together and share how they have made a difference. “I hope I make a difference by helping people in need,” says Trevallyn student, Georgia.

Fundraising to help the Tassie devils
By Allan Lê

As part of the ruMAD project, Allan, Georgina, Lachlan and Ryan are raising money to fund research to help find a cure for the facial tumours that grow on Tasmanian devils. The tumours can make the devils bleed and if they get them on their eyes, they can die. They have been working on this project for most of Term 3. Launceston College students have been assisting them with the project on Wednesday afternoons. Allan, Georgina, Lachlan and Ryan are hoping to raise about $200. They’re doing a “money line” at Trevallyn Primary School from the 27th of August - September 3rd. They are also designing posters to attract people to donate money to help the Tassie devils.


Visiting older community members
By Amelia Davies

Amelia, Sophie, Olivia, Ashley and Jack are hoping to make a difference in elderly people’s lives. Joined by two students, Alex and Kate from Launceston College, they are trying to help older, lonely people feel less isolated by spending some time with them. Their group has been planning an ruMAD project for about two months and are now ready for action. To make a difference they are going to arrange to visit some elderly people in the Legana area. They are also making posters to encourage people to help the elderly and cards to give them. ruMAD day is in October at the Launceston College. That is when all the schools come together and show what they have done to make a difference.

More MADness...

Don’t build the Pulp Mill!
By Liam Purser Lewis

Liam, Ben, James and two Launceston College students have been working on spreading the word not to vote for building the pulp mill in Launceston. They believe that if we do end up building it we will have big pollution problems in our environment and this will affect the plants and animals living there. Also we may not get as many tourists to Launceston if it becomes too polluted. This group has been creating posters to educate people about the problems that building the pulp mill here will cause. They are encouraging everyone to decline the pulp mill’s construction.


The RSPCA needs our help
 By Juanita Stevenson

Grade 5’s at Trevallyn Primary are participating in a program called ruMAD. They are working on a project with some Launceston College students. One of the groups is raising money for the RSPCA. The RSPCA needs the public to donate money for the animals in need, or to donate food or bedding or other things the animals might need. The RSPCA needs the public’s help because with so many animals coming in everyday, they can’t keep up caring for and feeding them all without the public’s support. If no-one comes and collects or adopts the animals within a certain time frame, they are put down. This is because of the lack of space at the RSPCA and lack of funds. But there is a chance for some of these animals if the Grade 5’s make a difference by supporting the RSPCA and making a donation to them. Every year Trevallyn Primary have a dog and cat food day where students bring along dog and cat food to donate to the RSPCA. Please help and support the RSPCA and its animals. We can all make a difference when we work together.

Talent show helps Oxfam
By Jess, Will, Alec and Sophie

Will, Sophie, Alec, Bradley and Jess are helping to raise money for Oxfam. Oxfam is a development, relief and campaigning global organisation that works with others to overcome poverty and suffering around the world. Oxfam is a community based service where people can buy things from a catalogue and then Oxfam sends them to people in need, all around the world. “Our group is raising money to buy chickens. We are having a talent show on the 28th of August at lunchtime in the Music room. It only costs 50 cents to enter and ten cents to watch! There will be prizes for the top performances!” says group member, Sophie.