Sleeping in class gets a tick from the teacher
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Students and staff at St Thomas School, Goodwood, have been overwhelmed by community backing for a school sleepout in aid of Vinnies and its services for the homeless.<br />
That the ‘donate’ site for St Thomas School Sleepout 2025 has already reached $6837 is only a small part of a fundraising story concerning four teachers and 38 students at the Adelaide primary school.
“The children wanted to raise awareness of homelessness and raise money and just get a sense of what it is like to sleep out,” said Year 6 teacher and leader of learning, Laura Donellan.
Emilia, John, Sienna and Josh are proud of their social justice activities.
On Thursday August 7, Laura and fellow teachers Sebestyen Maglai, Mark Nelson and Jess McMahon led the students in a sponsored sleepout on school grounds to bring in funds for Vinnies, mirroring its annual adult sleepout.
Speakers from Vinnies and food donation outlet Fred’s Van came to talk about homelessness at the sleepout, followed by activities that included answering the question ‘if you didn’t have a house what would you take with you?’
Then there was a 30 minute lie-down outside in the dark and cold, with prayers said by the children about how they might help those people less fortunate than themselves.
A night on the classroom floor followed, bed at about 9.30pm with the first stirrings around 3am and a normal school day ensued regardless.
Students got into the spirit of fundraising with gusto. Sports captain Sienna topped the fundraising with $933 with family and friends setting up an online group chat to help bring the money in.
John, who plays basketball for Forestville Eagles, went door to door knocking at his neighbours’ houses around Everard Park to raise funds.
“They all thought it was really good,” he said.
House captain Emelia confided that an aunty had been exceedingly generous with a whopping $300 donation.
Josh, who raised $556, said it was just his second ever night away from his family and he’d been apprehensive beforehand.
Realising a little of what homeless people can go through was a first-rate lesson he said.
Laura said such positivity tied in with the school’s philosophy of kindness and social justice.
“We look at how decisions are affected by Jesus’ leadership. We want the children to become confident in everything they do so they can go and make the world a better place.”
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