Like a factory, each student was tasked with a specific job all to bring them closer towards making one woman’s dream come true.
Janine Kreymborg has a vision of Anzac Day: hundreds of Australian flags waving in the wind, each in front of a Kyabram veteran’s grave.
She’s the college’s community connections coordinator, a fresh role for her this year, and with past experience organising Lone Pine ceremonies and partnerships with local organisations, the new hat fits well.
But, this new project, aptly named ‘For What They Have Done, This We Will Do,’ is a different beast entirely.
The project encompasses the whole school for participation - from the creation of the flag holders, to students cleaning graves - all to make sure no veteran is unaccounted for this Anzac Day.
The project has a three-phase approach, according to Janine.
First, a team of students will clean the graves to ensure they're in pristine condition.
Next, another group will install the flag holders.
Finally, in the week leading up to Anzac Day, a third team will place over 250 flags at individual veteran graves.
To make this vision a reality, she has enlisted the help of fellow staff, and some eager students.
Lionel Curling and John Fraser, two of the college’s technology domain teachers, have been helping facilitate the creation of flag holders by teaching the Year 10 Metal class how to make them.
“It’s a real team effort,” Mr Curling said.
“We pop a piece of steel (into a machine) and it cuts it for the right size - then the kids have to do their magic on the rest.”
From one table to another the steel travels: one student will take the sharp edges off, one will mark a notch, and another will put holes in.
It’s a machine with perfect precision - and Mr Curling said it lets students be proud of something they are doing for the community.
“They get to see the project all the way through, which is great for them,” he said.
“It’ll spark interest for people to go see if their relatives have got (a flag) there... it will spark a lot of interest.”
It’s not just the school getting around the project - many businesses have chipped in to bring this project to life, too.
Kyabram Steel donated the sheets of steel for students to make over 250 flag holders, and Kyabram Paint and Panel offered their services and resources to paint those flag holders.
Bunnings Echuca donated supplies for the students to clean the graves of each veteran so they look spick and span before the big day.
And Greenhams and Kyabram Club donated additional money towards the project, which has financed the purchase of the many flags that will be visible for the week.
Bob Stone, Kyabram RSL’s secretary and treasurer, said this special project could honour veterans who don’t have family to honour them.
“It’s quite easy once a lot of people are down at (the cemetery), especially if families move on, for people to be forgotten,” he said.
“It will really acknowledge past veterans (to) make sure they are not forgotten.”
Janine said it’s a project the school is really getting behind, and hopes the community can too.
The school is encouraging community members to see if their family member has a flag by their grave come Anzac Day.
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