What a Treat

In a year when we cannot go to the Ekka, the Ekka has come to the Year 3 girls at Somerville House. 

One small scoop of white ice cream, followed by a handful of chopped strawberries and one scoop of strawberry ice cream, finished with a rosette of whipped cream and strawberry on top. The art of making the famous Ekka Strawberry Sundae was mastered by the cohort in support of The Common Good; an initiative of The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation.

Teacher, Mrs Liz Munro said that the excursion to the Ekka is an annual tradition and forms part of the Year 3 HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences) program focussing on celebrations. 

“We knew we wanted to find some way that our girls could still be treated to an Ekka experience,” Mrs Munro said.

Teacher aide, Ms Kate Ashwood, coordinated the delivery of the DIY Strawberry Sundae packs from The Common Good.

“We decided that this would be the perfect way for our girls to still have a ‘taste’ of the Ekka, while also learning about The Prince Charles Hospital’s support for medical research,” Ms Ashwood said.

The students collected their sundaes with a smile, sat around the tuckshop tables, and listened to their teacher, Mrs Julie McAliece, explain the significance of their early morning treat.

“I wanted to make sure that the girls understood just how much of a difference a simple strawberry sundae can make,” Mrs McAliece said.

“The cost of eight sundaes, $44.00, will fund one hour of medical research,” she said.

The Year 3 students may not yet understand the impact of their strawberry sundae treat, but they have contributed to a 33-year Ekka tradition, honouring The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation and their mission ‘to help people live healthier, happier and longer lives’.

Since 2008, the profits from the Ekka Strawberry Sundae stalls have powered 41,986 hours of medical research.

Head of Junior School, Mrs Louise McGuire, was delighted that this incursion was arranged for the Year 3 students.

“We’re thrilled that our girls were still able to enjoy a version of ‘Ekka Wednesday’ while also learning about the significant impact they can make through small gestures,” Mrs McGuire said.