Get Stuff for Your School!

Parents always want to look out for their kids, and help them to achieve their highest potential. This is especially true when it comes to their education.

How do I know this? Because I’m one of those parents. And you know what? I’m a little over it. I’m tired of spending hours making candy apples for my school.  Every year I end up with third degree burns on my hands – and those horrible white burn marks on my kitchen bench where the hot sugar has scored my kitchen – fading only just in time to do it next year for the next School Fete. My fridge and freezer are packed with lamingtons and pies, and I’m always going to be the parent that ends up buying (and eating) that entire box of fundraiser chocolate from the chocolate drive.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I want my kids to have nice things at school.  I want their school to have enough money for things like laptops, sports equipment and art supplies.  But in today’s hugely busy world, it is increasingly harder for me as a Mum to be able to help out!

Offer What You Can

Sometimes parents are so busy at home, with their families and with their jobs that they can’t feasibly give their time by baking or volunteering themselves to be involved in school events. But, there are other options. In fact, you can support your child’s school every week, just by doing your weekly grocery shop. After a massive success in 2013 that saw more than 14,000 schools benefit, Woolworths’ Earn & Learn campaign is back. For every $10 that parents spend in store, they’ll be given a sticker that can be passed onto their child’s school. These stickers can then be swapped for educational resources including school supplies and sports equipment. If you’re looking for a simple way to support your child’s school that already fits into your schedule, this is it.

I’ve already started to get involved. The school that my boys go to is registered with the Earn & Learn program, so every time I go shopping I just grab my stickers and pass them along. When Earn & Learn is finished, the school is able to send the stickers to Woolies, and swap them for useful educational resources and equipment. Last time the program ran, Woolworths handed out 417,000 pieces of educational equipment to 14,500 schools, this boost to school resources is invaluable; and it looks to be even bigger this year!

When you think about it, there are so many different ways that parents can support their children at school. From high-energy exercises like volunteering and attending school events, to simpler solutions like shopping at Woolworths and participating in the Earn & Learn program, there’s no excuse not to be involved. Your child will be shaped by the experiences they have at school, and whether you like it or not, your attitude to their school also has an impact on this. Support your school, and you’re supporting your child. If that doesn’t make sense, we don’t know what does.

Why Earn & Learn Is an Easy Way to Get School Equipment

Earn and learn is a great initiative because the only work I really have to do is remove the stickers I receive at the check out, place them on the sticker sheet (well my boys do this, they love the stickers), and put them in my kids school box at my local Woolworths.  That’s it.  Literally two minutes work and I’m helping out my kids.  I don’t have to fork out any money that I wouldn’t have had to anyway (a family has to eat), and I already shop at Woolies.  And when you think of how many Mums and Dads out there that do shop at Woolworths, well that’s a lot of full sticker sheets that might provide much needed bits and pieces for my school.

How to Find Out More

Woolworths have loads more information on Earn & Learn at woolworths.com.au/earnandlearn

• Earn & Learn runs from Wednesday 15th July 2015 until Tuesday 8th September 2015.
• To check and see if your school is registered, check with your local school, or visit the Woolworths website.
• You receive ONE Earn and Learn point (one sticker) for every $10 spent at Woolworths excluding the purchase of liquor, tobacco and gift cards.
• Stickers will only be accepted if they are stuck onto the provided Sticker Sheet.

How do you support your child at school?