A Maitland Youth Express work placement initiative has given a group of secondary students new skills and provided a much-needed vegetable garden for a small primary school.
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Sixteen year 11 and 12 boys from All Saints College, St Mary’s Campus, Maitland were on the tools this week building new garden beds for Holy Spirit Infants School.
Youth Express work placement co-ordinator, Joanne Nelson, said the project was a win for both schools.
“It’s all about getting high school students to work in a primary school and complete a project that is community based,” Ms Nelson said.
Australian Brick and Blocklaying Training Company offered their expertise, teaching the construction students the basics of bricklaying.
Principal of Holy Spirit Infants School, Marie Simoes, said the school’s 92 students and staff were grateful for the build.
“I was so delighted, everything’s so well organised,” Ms Simoes said.
A sensory and vegetable garden has been on the school’s wish list for some time.
“[The garden will allow] the children to get a sense of planting and growing and have a full relationship with eating and gardening,” Ms Simoes said.