Fair go, respect, inclusion and mateship – working collaboratively in a team. These are the Aussie values primary school children are being encouraged to demonstrate in a national schools’ competition to create an innovative way of re-using plastic bottles – with $20,000 worth of classroom stationery prizes up for grabs.
The competition is part of the popular nationwide Aussie of the Month Award – a student recognition program that rewards the characteristics of personal endeavour, teamwork and contribution to community, and is the younger sibling to the prestigious Australian of the Year Awards.
The Aussie of the Month program recognises outstanding contribution to the primary school community and broader society, and rewards students who display values such as respect, inclusion, mateship and a fair go. All participating schools receive Aussie of the Month certificates, lapel pins and Pilot Pen stationery prizes. The Aussie of the Month program is delivered by the Australia Day Council national network in partnership with the Department of Home Affairs.
Rewarding our Circular Champions
All schools who register for Aussie of the Month can sign up for the Circular Champions competition, with the chance to be one of 20 schools to win a share of RRP $20,000 worth of Pilot Pen classroom stationery prize packs including gel pens, whiteboard markers, ballpoints, refills, erasable highlighters and Sellotape safety dispensers.
Jarrad Murray, head of marketing, Pilot Pen Australia said: ‘We have been a proud partner of the Aussie of the Month program for 20 years and are delighted to provide prizes for the Circular Champions schools’ competition. We’re really thrilled to encourage children to contribute to the circular economy by saving on plastic waste as part of our ongoing commitment to encourage people to refill their pens when the ink finishes.’
Aussie of the Month Ambassador and Australian Local Hero 2023, Amar Singh, is president and founder of Turbans 4 Australia – a national charity dedicated to community, inclusion and compassion by helping those in need. He says:
‘Circular Champions is a great way for school children to demonstrate the important values of mateship, inclusion, respect, fair go and community, by showing how they can work together to get creative with plastic bottles that would otherwise end up in landfill. I am very much looking forward to seeing the entries!’
Circular Champions opens on 22 July and closes on 20 September 2024. To enter, schools can register via: www.aussieofthemonth.org.au/competition and prepare their class entry.
‘We are delighted to be supporting this exciting initiative as part of the popular Aussie of the Month program, which gives recognition to students for their participation and contribution to the community,’ said Mark Fraser, Chief Executive Officer, National Australia Day Council. ‘We extend our appreciation to Pilot Pen Australia for providing these generous prizes,’ he added.
Celebrating more than 20 Years of Aussie of the Month
Almost 20 years ago in 2005, 11-year-old Melissa Justins of Dumbleyung Primary School in WA, won one of the first Aussie of the Month awards for ‘being a helpful and considerate community member who displays genuine concern for others.’
She still remembers winning the award to this day: ‘It felt like a validation of who I am intrinsically, beyond just my academic or athletic achievements. This recognition made me want to strive for more and inspired me to explore my potential outside of the school environment.’
Melissa’s mother, Julie Justins, said: ‘I felt very proud that Melissa had been chosen from all the students to receive this honour. It’s a great feeling to have your child recognised for qualities other than academic and sporting achievements.’
Dumbleyung Primary School principal, Melanie Capper said, ‘The Aussie of the Month award perpetuates what we value as Australians and what we want to see reflected in our school and wider school community. It lifts the culture within our school and enables students who are not necessarily the sportiest or the most academic in their class, to still commit to these important values as they will be noticed for them and awarded. We must model, teach and lead the values we wish to see reflected within our students as one day they will be the citizens of our wider community.’
This year, Aussie of the Month celebrates a 20-year partnership with Pilot Pen Australia, with more than 1,550 schools across Australia registered, enabling over 500,000 children eligible to win the award. To register for Aussie of the Month, visit: www.aussieofthemonth.org.au
About Pilot Pen Australia
Pilot Pen Australia provides quality writing implements to schools, individuals and organisations throughout Australia and has been putting pen prizes in the hands of Aussie of the Month recipients for 20 years. For further information, visit www.pilotpen.com.au
About Amar Singh
Amar founded the charity, Turbans 4 Australia in 2015 to help provide emergency goods and services to Australians experiencing financial hardship, food insecurity, homelessness and unemployment, whilst at the same time promoting multi-culturalism and religious tolerance. For further information, visit: www.t4a.org.au
