ISLINGTON Public students have turned their school into a sea of yellow and blue, dressing in the colours of the Ukranian flag to raise awareness and funds to help refugees fleeing the war-torn country.
School leaders Elwood Peak and Kiran Katerla, both aged 11, said when principal Kim Harris asked them and fellow leaders Sunny Alston and Sophie Boutelier for what cause they wanted to fundraise this term, Ukraine was their first choice.
"I was born in Berlin Germany, and I went there a few weeks ago... [and] realised how close Ukraine is to my home country," Kiran said.
"It's only a one hour flight away, it's like someone attacking let's say Canberra, that's how close it feels.
"My cousins live there and in their school there are Ukrainians and it's just had a bigger impact on Germany, my home country, than Australia."
The students asked their peers to wear blue and yellow and bring a gold coin donation.
"I came in and was like 'This isn't enough to show people how much impact [war] has on Ukraine and European countries'," Kiran said.
He and his dad asked Ukrainian refugee Yurii Chuchenko via Facebook if he would come and speak to the students about he and his pregnant wife Inna's experience.
He said the Chuchenkos answered questions from the year four and five composite class and the year five and six composite class, which had been learning about Ukraine and the war.
Mr Chuchenko also showed some students how to write their names in Ukrainian.
"It was amazing and helped us understand it a bit more," Kiran said.
"It was incredible what they were talking about and how much impact it actually had on their lives, they had to start a brand new life in Australia and just left their whole country.
"Inna wants to go back but Yurii thinks it's never going to be the same again... the war hasn't only split up countries, but it's split up families."
Elwood said he hoped their efforts would ensure Ukraine's plight would not be forgotten.
"I think everyone now has a deeper understanding of what's happening," he said. "We wanted to educate people about this crisis and how we can [continue to] help."
Relieving principal Chris Blake said the school wanted to see the funds used to provide accommodation for Ukrainian refugees.
"We are a diverse school, we've got kids from 20 different backgrounds here.. it's important for us to show that we have that empathy and care for what's going on in other countries."
