Millwarra Primary School students (left to right) Laura, Jordan and Kara are taking part in the Pacific School Games being staged in Melbourne this week.By Dion Teasdale
STUDENTS from Millwarra Primary School are taking part in one of the world’s largest school sporting events.
Six students from the Millgrove and Warburton East campuses will take part in the Pacific School Games in Melbourne from 26 November to 4 December.
The Games feature more than 3,500 young athletes aged between eight and 16 from 25 countries and more than 1,100 student volunteers from across Victoria.
First held in Brisbane in 1982 as a showcase of sport within an education setting, the Games have since been a launching pad for world-class athletes including Ian Thorpe, Cathy Freeman, Susie O’Neill, Matt Shirvington and Jana Pittman.
The Games feature sports such as diving, swimming, basketball and track and field events and are seen as a test run for the staging of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games in March next year.
The six students from Millwarra Primary School are part of a contingent of 40 Yarra Valley students who will work as volunteer marshals during the Games.
Each student has been supplied with a uniform, including a hat and drink bottle, as a memento of their participation.
Millwarra Physical Education teacher Glenda Towan said the Games were a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“We wanted our school to be part of the Games and offer students the chance to be an ambassador for our community,” Ms Towan said.
She said students from Millwarra were selected to be part of the Games based on their leadership skills, their interest in sport and their citizenship.
