A JOURNEY from the classroom to the highs of major events like Royal Melbourne Show is a valuable one for teachers and students at Culcairn.
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Donna Parker is the agriculture science teacher at Billabong High School and her 'classroom' is one that encompasses plenty of practical experience. And it would be fair to say this 'classroom' encourages hard work too.
Mrs Parker, who also farms with her family at "Kelvin Grove," Cookardinia, enjoys watching the students improve their skills and gain a sense of pride from showing livestock and learning about cropping systems. She said students were currently preparing meat chickens for the Steggles Sydney Royal School Meat Bird competition.
And soon the show steers, ultimately destined for the hoof and hook competition at Royal Melbourne Show, will start flowing into the school.
Billabong High School also has a South Suffolk sheep stud and students show these animals at the Holbrook Sheep and Wool Fair.
"The cattle start coming in at Easter time," Mrs Parker said.
For teachers and students the involvement in agriculture is hard work but Mrs Parker explains the rewards are high. And she enjoys watching students make their way through the school system and then seek employment within the rural sector.
Students have gone on to study agriculture at university, others have become shearers and one recently undertook a role as a diesel mechanic with a rural machinery firm.
Mrs Parker said the students gained valuable life-skills and their connections within the community were valuable.
She said students often took the initiative of contacting stud cattle breeders to source animals to show. For Mrs Parker the role of agriculture teacher comes with many rewards and she said sharing experiences from year 7 through to year 12 was enjoyable.
In addition to her keen interest in agriculture Mrs Parker said there was also plenty of sporting success to enjoy in the region too.
In fact, Mrs Parker's daughter Alyce Parker, who finished Year 12 at Billabong last year, was signed with GWS Giants in AFL W and last year she was named the captain of the 2018 AFL Women's Under-18 All Australian team.
Mrs Parker said the southern NSW area had certainly been a great place for Alyce to gain her sporting foundations.
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Rural journalist with Fairfax media based in the Riverina.
Rural journalist with Fairfax media based in the Riverina.
