Last week one of our TOMS teams visited Fred Ward Gardens to present their long term Arts Challenge. This particualr Arts team has made it through to the Regional Finals being held this weekend, and the Long Term Challenge they presented that helped them qualify for the Regional Finals was centered around one of the Fred Ward residents. The Arts Long Term Challenge required the teams to present a person's life story using at least 2 different art forms. This team chose to interview a number of residents at Fred Ward Gardens and then they decided to tell John's story.  John lived in counrty NSW as a child, attending a one teacher school and had to walk 4 miles to school each day. Later he became a teacher and then at the age of 24 decided to go as a missionary teacher to Borneo. Just before he left Australia he was told by the Bishop tht the principal of the school had returned to England so he became Principal of the Borneo school at the ripe old age of 24. He stayed there for 15 years, met his wife, who was also a missionary, and finally left Borneo safe in the knowledge that the school was able to be run by local teachers and assistants. On his return to Australia and worked as a school inspector before retiring and eventually moving into Fred Ward Gardens earlier this year. John was thrille to see the dramatisation of his life story.  It is wonderful to see that our connection with Fred Ward Gardens is evolving constantly and that our students are enriched by this connection. 

Jenny Groom