Good Sorts - Student Volunteer Army
Waimate High School (WHS) Student Volunteer Army (SVA) don’t mind getting their hands dirty and want to help make a difference in the Waimate community.
The WHS SVA is a branch of the national student volunteer movement the SVA, that started in response to the Christchurch earthquakes that occurred during the 2010 - 2011 period.
University of Canterbury (UC) student, Sam Johnson, created a Facebook group called the ‘Student Base for Earthquake Clean Up’.
The Facebook page was used to help assist residents with tasks like, cleaning liquefaction silt from their homes.
From there the SVA flourished with other UC clubs joining together as a collective movement to help clean up Christchurch.
In 2017 ‘SVA Kids’ came into being when primary schools asked the SVA if they would extend it to include them.
After that the SVA Service Award started for secondary school students and is now in most schools across New Zealand.
The Service Award is where student volunteers work towards badges based on how many hours they volunteer.
WHS SVA co-leader Andrew Masayon said to gain the membership badge they have to volunteer 5hrs, their Bronze badge, 32hrs, their Silver badge 250hrs and their Gold badge, 500hrs.
Masayon said some of the volunteering initiatives the WHS SVA have been involved in with the Waimate community are, helping Waimate2gether at the Whitehorse spreading mulch and planting trees, as well as face painting for Positive Waimate at their market fundraisers.
He said they have helped with a beach clean-up at Otaio, helped Rotary with wood collection, and the mountain bike club with track maintenance.
The WHS SVA is co-lead by Masayon and Katelyn Freeman who help organise volunteering for the other students.
If you are a student and would like to participate you can get in contact with Masayon or Freeman through Waimate High School.
‘Seeing change in the community’: is something Waimate High School, Student Volunteer Army member, Georgia Soper enjoys about volunteering.
Georgia Soper (15)
Seeing change in the community and working towards a common goal is what Georgia Soper enjoys about being a student volunteer.
She was born in Timaru Hospital, South Canterbury and has lived in Waimate all her life, attending Waimate Centennial Primary School and WHS.
As well as being a part of the WHS SVA, Soper has spent a lot of her time volunteering as a coach for Miniball, Basketball, Netball and Swimming, as well as refereeing Netball and Miniball, because sport is one of her passions.
At school she has volunteered on the Art, Student and Sport Councils and has led a Show Quest.
She has been a Junior House leader and is now a Senior House leader.
Soper also spends a lot of her time volunteering at Centennial School, helping to organise parent teacher events, Quiz nights and with their school productions.
Through the William Pike Award and the Duke of Edinburgh Award she has had to do volunteer work, she is doing her Bronze Duke of Edinburgh at the moment.
Soper said she Likes volunteering as she loves meeting new people and people that can show her how to be a good leader, as she likes being one.
“I love being able to encourage the younger members of school and the community to participate in things,” she said.
1. ‘The feeling of achieving something’ when volunteering is an enjoyment to Waimate High School, Student Volunteer Army member.
Andrew Masayona (17)
The feeling of achieving something and encouraging others to achieve is what drives Masayon to volunteer.
He was born the Philippines and moved to New Zealand and Waimate four years ago, attending WHS since he arrived.Not only is he co-leader of WHS SVA but he is WHS’s Head Boy and with that he takes on a lot of leaderships roles within the school and is a role model to the other students.
He is a Peer Support Leader, does Buddy Reading, and is on the Student Council as well.
Also, through school he is part of the Positive Behaviour for Learning Committee (PB4L), which does a behaviour matrix around the school, members being the Principal, Deputy Principal, four teachers and two students.
Masayon has also volunteered on a panel of people interviewing year 7 and 8 teachers for employment at WHS and he also interviewed the 2021 students who wanted to be prefects in 2020.
The Filipino St Patricks Church is an important part of his life and he helps to organise church events.
Singing is also important to him and he enjoys volunteering to entertain residents at Lister Home and doing performances for the community.
Through Rotary Masayon has delivered the Waimate Phone Book they produce and has now become an Honorary member.
He also has helped author John Foley by typing his written word on to the computer, so Foley can get it published and at food stalls at big events that are held at the Waimate Showgrounds.
Masayon said he got into volunteering for leadership roles through Kapa Haka and Matariki.
He said he has always had the drive to be a leader so he takes on as many roles as he can volunteer for and WHS SVA has helped him achieve that.
“I enjoy doing for others and not just myself, giving back to the community is important,” he said.
1. ‘I volunteering because I enjoy helping out in the community’: said Waimate High School, Student Volunteer member, Katelyn Ronson.
Katelyn Ronson (17)
Katelyn Ronson likes to volunteer as she wants to help shape the future for the coming generations.
She was born in Timaru Hospital, South Canterbury and has lived in Waimate all her life attending Waimate Centennial Primary School and then and WHS.
Not only is Ronson a part of WHS SVA she is also Deputy Head Prefect of WHS and takes on the roles that come with it.
Through the school she also does Buddy Reading and Peer Support.
Some of the volunteering she does outside of school is, waitressing at shows the Theatre Company put on, helping with the Knox Presbyterian Church Youth group and cleaning the church.
She also helps with Girl Guides and does volunteer work through them, as she has been working towards and has basically completed her Queen Guides Award.
Ronson said she really started to get interested in volunteer work when she decided to go for her Duke of Edinburgh Awards, as volunteering in the community is a major part of achieving the award.
She said she has already done her Bronze and Silver Duke of Edinburgh and is now doing her Gold.
“I volunteer because I enjoy helping out in the community and it is an opportunity to meet new people and be a part of different organisations,” she said