By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
AFTER principal Ruby Toombs listened to students’ poems about their own hopes and dreams she decided a visual reminder of hope in the school grounds would be their next project.
Athol Road Primary School officially opened its Garden of Hope on Wednesday 20 May with special guest Mayor Sean O’Reilly and parents.
The whole school event allowed each child to drop their own wish of hope for the future into the gardens wishing well.
“Our students decided that our hope symbol would be an anchor as it’s the sign of hope for sailors and parents wrote the word ‘hope’ in different languages on the anchors,” Ms Toombs said.
The garden started construction eight months ago with the help of the Teachers Mutual Bank teaching initiative grant.
The school was granted $2000 and added another $3000 towards the garden.
“We wanted to build a garden of hope to remind our students that no matter how bad today is there is always hope in the world and to follow your hopes and dreams,” Ms Toombs said.
The garden has a friendship seat from the Alannah and Madeline Foundation and a wall is set to be built with the slogan ‘Plant the thought and grow the dream’.
“The students love the garden and it is a work in progress.
“As ideas come up we will intend on building them to make the garden more realistic,” Ms Toombs said.
