Bulldogs Director Dr Susan Alberti was so taken with the efforts and enthusiasm of students at Glengala Primary School during her Principal for a Day visit she created a scholarship that will be awarded to one of them.
Dr Alberti joined other LeasePlan Western Bulldogs management and Board members on Tuesday to visit 18 Bulldogs Friendly Primary Schools in the west of Melbourne as part of an Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) program aimed at strengthening the relationship between schools, business and the wider community.
Her visit included yard duty and morning tea with staff and said the day was a great experience.
“I haven’t been back to a primary school since I was a young girl so this has been very special for me. To see the children learning, having fun and talking about their school with such pride is wonderful,” she said.
Following the visit Dr Alberti was so overwhelmed by the participation of not only the staff but the children at the school she decided to contact the "real" principal to discuss the options around setting up a scholarship.
"It was one of the most memorable occasions that I have experienced in my life. I get many opportunities to talk with leaders in the community, but never once have I had the chance to talk to our future leaders. Their questions were thought provoking not only for myself but for all the other children in the classroom," she said.
"I decided that, in collaboration with the school, we would give a form of scholarship to an outstanding member of the Grade 6 class for their future education at their feeder school."
Dr Alberti said having the opportunity through the Bulldogs Friendly Schools program to be involved in events such as Principal for a Day was one of the reasons she was so passionate about the Club.
"Thank you to the Club and the school for the opportunity to do this. It was an experience that I will treasure always," She said.
Every school was presented with a Western Bulldogs Footy Finals Pack, which encouraged staff and students to decorate their school in red, white and blue to show their support for the Bulldogs in this year’s AFL Finals Series.
More than 13,000 students from 33 primary schools have taken part in the Bulldogs Friendly Primary Schools Program in 2008. The program is run with the assistance of pre-service teachers from community partner Victoria University and has included visits by members of the Bulldogs playing group throughout the year.