At an assembly of St. Anthony's School, Pahiatua on 1 November, Trust Chair Gordon Noble-Campbell presented four awards acknowledging students who had created outstanding artwork visualising the experiences of the Polish children who arrived in Pahiatua, 80 years ago in 1944.
The students of the school created a visual journey from the time the children arrived in Wellington (on 31 October 1944 aboard the USS troop ship General Randall) until they reached the camp in Pahiatua the following day, where they found family, love and peace. The students tried to imagine what it must have been like and what these children would have been feeling and thinking.
The four students who received awards from the Trust (from left to right in the photo below), were: Meri Thomson, Hazel Brass, Quinn Elliston and Charlotte Fouhy.
The artwork created by the winners, (clockwise from top left, below) is by: Hazel, Meri, Quinn and Charlotte.
In addition, "special commendation" certificates were presented to another eight St. Anthony's School students, (from left to right below): Henry Gardiner, Alexie Williamson, Fritzi Thomson, Ben Murch, Dallas Little, Hannah Baker, Kiwianna Bailey, and Maci Exeter for their superb artworks.
The Trustees would like to acknowledge St. Anthony's School Principal Marg Hylsop, Deputy Principal Rae Powell, and Gilda McKnight (President of the Pahiatua Museum) for enabling the Trust to be present and part of an important celebration for the wider Pahiatua community. "Dziękuję za zaproszenie!"