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Lui delivers try for 5! prizes to Rasmussen
by NRL 14 August 2013
N
orth Queensland Cowboys halfback Robert Lui visited Rasmussen State School to deliver prizes to one of the most successful classes so far in the inaugural Try for 5! program. The Cowboys, the Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs (DATSIMA) and BHP Billiton Cannington have partnered with five Townsville primary schools which experience higher than normal student absentee rates to deliver Try for 5! over a 10-week period. Running in term two (29 April-31 May) and term three (22 July-23 August), the pilot program is measuring the effectiveness of engaging with a national sporting brand and sporting stars to assist in reducing the number of students
who don’t turn up to school each day. On a weekly basis, classes in each school are competing against each other to improve their class attendances and win Cowboys merchandise, while each school is competing against each other to win the overall prize – two tickets for each student to the Cowboys’ home game against Wests Tigers in round 26. Lui congratulated Year 5A from Rasmussen who won their school’s class attendance prize for two consecutive weeks, achieving the most improved attendance rate. “They’re doing really well. I’m very proud of them,” Lui said. “I’m sure they can keep it up and keep their attendance rates high when the competition is over. “It’s great to see we’re getting positive results from the program and the kids are embracing being at school because ensuring you
receive a proper education is one of the most important things you can do. “I know I used to love coming to school.” Heatley, Vincent, Kelso and Garbutt are the other schools involved in the pilot program. Objectives “Try for 5!” seeks to: • Directly influence and improve primary school student attendance/ truancy rates in selected schools that have significant Indigenous and low socio-economic populations and which face truancy/attendance issues. • Through the program’s media campaign, magnify the effectiveness of the program’s school attendance messages to participating students, parents and the broader school community • Measure and report the demonstrable effectiveness of the program to all stakeholders. Page 1