NEW COMPUTERS AND MUSIC EQUIPMENT FOR PARKHURST STATE SCHOOL

_{02 August, 2007}

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Thanks very much Mr Keith and good morning students - thankyou very much for that.

Before I start, can I just get the choir to stand again Mr Keith? I was just blown away by their singing and the way they interpreted those songs. Could you all join with me and again congratulate the choir on a fabulous job.

Thank you students and congratulations to Mr St Henry your music teacher, who is obviously teaching you to sing the National Anthem very well with such emotion and feeling – that was great.

I am delighted to be here today, and I am delighted to have here with me today Mr Paul Hoolihan, who is the local State Member of Parliament, representing the State Government, and also Mrs Richards, representative of the Parents and Citizens Association and I come here today on behalf of our Prime Minister and the Australian Education Minister Julie Bishop to officially launch these new enhancements to your school.

Do any of you know who the Prime Minister is? You call it out. Right first time! That is very good! Mr Howard asked me to come up here to Parkhurst to officially launch these great enhancements you have for your school. Mr Keith has already gone through the great list of what they are all about, and what I am hoping is that all of these computers and programmes and sound equipment coming in, they will help give you a really good education and set you up for your future in school and for a job in life.

Do you know what your school motto is? Who knows that? Who has a big voice? Can you call it out? Stop-Think-Do? I am sure that is a goal and a good one, but what is the school motto? Leap to Lead. That is right! I think that these enhancements at your school, all of the music equipment and great software will certainly allow you to Leap to Lead all the other schools around in district in what you do.

Students, Mr Keith has said that not only has Mr Howard’s Government put some money into this, but very importantly, your Mums and Dads did a lot of work to make sure these things happened, and the Parents and Citizens Association, represented by Mrs Debra Richards today, have worked very hard. So you should say to your Mums and Dads, those who are involved, thankyou Mum and Dad very much for helping at my school.

Do any of you know how many people are at your school? 267! It has grown an awful lot and it is great to see you concentrating on things that will be good for your future. At Parkhurst State School you learn how to spell, how to do figures and numbers, and science and technology are really important in this day and age. Who knows how to work a computer? Everybody! I had better come back to Parkhurst School so I can learn how to do it. Good on you all!

Some of the money that is still to come, as Mr Keith says, is almost $100,000, and you will use this to purchase laptops, interactive whiteboards, music software, headsets, microphones, so that you can be really professional.

Students, I am delighted to be with you and am very honoured to be part of your choir in your opening ceremony, singing the National Anthem – that was fabulous. I wish you all the very best for the future and I hope that you continue to enjoy your schooling here. It is very important that you do work hard at school, because there is a long life in front of you, and to get the best out of your life, you need a good education, and that is what you are getting here at Parkhurst State School.

All the very best. Study hard. Work hard and I wish the best for the future.

Thank you.

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