By Casey Neill
Keysborough shoppers helped Emerson School to set up its own television studio.
Parkmore Shopping Centre manager Olga Lekovic presented $2000 to Emerson School in Dandenong on Friday 18 August.
The grant was part of the $10,000 School Rewards competition, which ran at Parkmore for five weeks.
Customers collected points for a local school each time they made a purchase in the centre.
Keysborough’s Resurrection Primary School collected the most points and received $5000 and $3000 went to second-placed Dingley Primary School.
Emerson was in third place.
Principal Dianne Wright said the money would set up a television studio to broadcast between the school’s two campuses shows that students design and present.
“Unfortunately, we sometimes have to cancel our Friday assemblies due to poor weather,” she said.
“A facility like this will enable us to broadcast the assembly to staff and students on the other campus.”
Ms Wright said the school’s VCAL performing arts and digital studies classes would also benefit from the facilities.
“It is an exciting opportunity to further develop the skills and talents of Emerson students,” she said.
Ms Lekovic said the rewards campaign had been a huge success.
“We are delighted that Parkmore Shopping Centre has been able to work with the community by converting visits to the centre into grants for local schools,” she said.
“The enthusiasm shown by the local community and schools to the Schools Rewards competition had been overwhelming.”
As well as the $10,000 in grants, the competition included weekly $100 gift card prizes and a $500 gift card grand prize for the shopper who collected the most points.
