It’s that time of year again when local brick masters get to work creating extraordinary displays to share with the community at The Woden School. The major fundraiser for the specialist school for students with disabilities, Bricks@Woden, returns this weekend, 25-26 May.
The event is hosted by the Canberra Lego User Group (CLUG), whose members attend for the love of Lego and what the school offers children and parents of our region. Accepting nothing for their time or effort, all funds made from the weekend go directly to helping the school and its students.
“With the renaissance Lego is having, it is not just something for kids. The event gets bigger and bigger every year. Exhibitors come to show off these amazing creations big and small at the school, we’ve got 66 registered to build these fabulous Lego creations,” says Gillian Bradford, The Woden School Parents and Citizens Association (P&C).
The weekend is a true school community affair; school volunteers run a BBQ, cake stall, plant and book sale, there will be live music and an emcee. Also donating their time is the 501st Legion, a troop of Star Wars universe enthusiasts who come dressed in accurate costumes.
“We have a beautiful lady who donates pumpkins and our kids help cook up a storm in the school kitchen making some pumpkin soup. We’ve got another mum making masala dosa with potato curry and chutney,” says Ms Bradford.
While the event is well established and loved, this year is particularly special as The Woden School celebrates 50 years since it first opened its doors to children. While the school does receive some government funding, the tools and equipment for its students incur higher costs than those of mainstream schools, and fundraisers like Bricks make a profound impact for the school.
“Even something as simple as a swing, you picture a kid going down to the park and jumping on and swinging themselves. For a lot of kids at The Woden School that swing needs to have a high back, a harness to be safe, soft fall underneath it, it has to be low to the ground… The equipment to help our kids engage with physical activity costs a lot more,” says Ms Bradford.
Currently, The Woden School has 97 students with moderate to profound disabilities enrolled, it is one of two special needs high school in Canberra and serves families south of the bridge and into Queanbeyan.
“If you have a special needs kid like I do, The Woden School becomes your family,” says Ms Bradford. “The Woden School is the sort of community that wraps their arms around you and takes care of our kids and ensures by the time it comes to leave school, they are best prepared as they can be for the real world.”
In small classes of six to eight children, lessons and projects are catered to each student’s abilities and learning goals in a highly personalised, targeted program that aligns with the National Australian Curriculum.
“We do a lot of assessments to make sure we’re targeting the right level. One of the big pitches is that we’ve got people who are passionate about working in the field of disability and have a wealth of knowledge. It is a rich environment for people to learn and grow more,” says James Malone, The Woden School principal.
Ms Bradford’s son, Lachlan, started at the school this year. In her role on the P&C, Ms Bradford wants to ensure that all students have the best learning experience available to them. Mr Malone says having a passionate P&C is an invaluable asset to the school, fundraising and organising where the funds go.
Raising upward of $15,000 from Bricks@Woden each of the last few years, Mr Malone says they will have to make decisions around where the funds will go – one of the options is whether to renew the current bus lease or purchase a bus of their own.
“The P&C is interested in supporting the school to buy one of the buses but there are number of things that we look to raise money for through the P&C, including a courtyard for kids, upgrades to facilities, new infrastructure in the playground, we’re looking at digging pit, upgrades to the bike area,” says Mr Malone.
Along with all these upgrades, there is a golden egg the P&C has their eyes on – the construction of a hydro-pool. Ms Bradford says The Woden School is the only school specialising in disability education in Canberra that doesn’t have its own hydro-pool.
“I could tell you that nearly 100 per cent of the kids at The Woden School would use the hydro pool because it is such an amazing experience. The sensory load that the kids can often be overwhelmed by in the world just disappears in a hydro-pool, the warmth of the water and the calm that comes over many of them being in the pool is just amazing to watch.”
Not something as simple as just being able to pile all the students on to a bus and go to a swimming facility, Ms Bradford says that having a hydro-pool on location for these students could greatly improve their schooling time. A hydro-pool has some big dollar signs attached she says. They won’t be able to do it with just the Bricks@Woden event but they are hopeful they will get more support once the word is out there.
“We’ve got to start somewhere, we’ve got to start thinking about this, knowing that the benefit over time for every child who goes through that school could be enormous,” she says.
Non-verbal with physical challenges and severe challenges with learning, Ms Bradford’s son requires a lot of support during schooling. No parent to be thinks to themselves that their child will need a school that supports additional needs, says Ms Bradford, but when you do, you are so glad that they exist.
“The Woden School is a community with teachers and other staff who wrap themselves around your kid in a way that gives them everything they need. They aren’t trying to fit them in a curriculum or an activity that they can’t keep up with where they’re always on the outside or to the side. In a place like The Woden School, your kid is front and centre and getting the attention they need and getting all things that are helping them be the best version of themselves,” says Ms Bradford.
Support The Woden School and see some wonderful creations in Bricks@Woden on 25-26 May; trybooking.com
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