Inverell year 12 students raise funds for local charities in final week

Both Inverell and Macintyre High Schools avoided the usual ‘muck-up week’ antics in favour of raising funds for local charities. Teachers were proud of the students for their mature and altruistic behaviour.

“They’ve certainly left a legacy,” Macintyre year advisor Lindsay Gunther said. 

“This year they have strayed from the traditional idea of a muck-up week and they’ve created a celebration week. They’ve been raising money for the Royal North Shore Burns Unit and the Drought Angels Appeal.” 

Julie Clendinning of Inverell High was equally proud of her students, who enthusiastically raised over $8000 for the Inverell Volunteer Rescue Association, who are working towards a $150,000 goal to upgrade one of their trucks.

“They have been a nice group of people as a year. They take pride in themselves, they have generous natures,” she said.

That spirit shone through as the group coaxed locals to take part in their car wash despite rainy weather on Wednesday, and hosted a wildly successful charity auction that evening. The year group raised around $5000 with both events. 

Items were donated by local businesses, students offered themselves up as slaves and teacher Brian Shumack sold off the right to dye his beard bright pink. 

“The charity night was phenomenal,” Ms Clendinning said. 

Inverell High’s year 12 also raised funds with a music night previewing students’ HSC work, a barbecue at the school athletic carnival and by selling roses on Valentine’s Day. 

Aware of the pressures of the drought on local businesses, Macintyre kept their appeal internal, raising funds at school events to avoid creating an extra burden on the community. The school raised around $1700 for the two charities. 

Ms Gunther said while this was less than previous years, she was proud that the school had raised those funds on their own, without appealing to the wider community. 

The year had been waiting to raise funds for the burns unit for sometime, a cause close to their hearts after one of their classmates benefitted from their work.

They added the Drought Angels to their list after NSW became 100 per cent drought declared.

“A lot of our kids come from properties and their parents have small businesses in town, and everybody’s really feeling the pinch with the drought,” Ms Gunther said. 

The so-called ‘senior choir’ were the driving force for fundraising throughout the year.

“It’s a group of year 12 boys who have questionable singing talent, but they’re very passionate and they’re very entertaining, and they have sung at nearly every assembly all year,” Ms Gunther explained.

The tuneless but charismatic group would hand a bucket around, allowing teachers and students to vote with their donations on whether they should be allowed to keep singing. 

“Mr Paul actually donated $50 to get them to stop singing on their first assembly!”

Another donation vote landed Ms Gunther and careers advisor Mr Ryan in cold water, as students chose to dunk the pair for the cause. It was a fitting end to the school’s new twist on the 28-year-old ‘Miss Macintyre’ competition, renamed ‘The Pageant’ to include both boys and girls in the memorable fashion parade.

Macintyre held what may be their largest school formal ever on Thursday night, with 234 guests heading to the RSM Club to see off 65 students. 

Inverell High will wait until the HSC exams are over on November 9 to host their formal. 

“I think they’re prepared, they know what’s expected of them,” Ms Clendinning said.

“They’ve matured in the last 12 months and they know how to sit exams, which is an important thing. And these days it’s getting more difficult for kids to learn that because they’ve got less exams.”

She said she hoped the best for the students in the future.

“Follow your dreams and life hopefully will give you what you want,” she said.