Penelope the pig graduates from NT primary school with near-perfect attendance record

A primary school in the red centre* of Australia has farewelled a special classmate – who only missed two days of term two – by giving her an award for her attendance.

This week, Sadadeen Primary School in Alice Springs farewelled Penelope the pig, who will now move on to greener pastures*.

Sadadeen Primary School principal Tom Middleton said Penelope – who had been brought to the school as a piglet – had been a much-loved presence at the school.

Mr Middleton said Penelope was frequently involved in playground activities, with her presence positively impacting school attendance and engagement.

“Penelope was involved in events like Finke Riders, sports day, and NAIDOC* Day, and was also in various classes,” he said.

“Penelope, born on Easter weekend, was bottle-fed every three hours from two days old. She quickly became a favourite, with students learning to care for her.”

Increasing school attendance levels is a top priority in the Northern Territory. It is one of the reasons why public schools are now being fully funded after receiving about $1 billion from the federal and NT governments this year.

School attendance rates in the Territory rose by 1.2 per cent to 77.2 per cent in 2023, reversing a downward trend since 2015.

Northern Territory Education Minister Mark Monaghan said increasing engagement was the most important factor when boosting attendance and other results.

He also credited other programs such as on-Country learning*, interactive STEAM* centres, and community involvement for the recent improvement in attendance.

Recent studies in Australia have shown that therapy animals in schools, including dogs, goats, chickens and pigs, bring many learning and health benefits. They include lowering stress and anxiety levels for students, altering classroom dynamics resulting in higher pupil engagement and positive learning outcomes, plus lifting attendance.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• red centre: Central Australia
• pastures: land covered in grass and suitable for grazing animals such as sheep
• NAIDOC: National Aborigines and Islanders day Observance Committee
• on-Country learning: a combination of curriculum and field-based indigenous culture
• STEAM: science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics

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QUICK QUIZ
1. How old is Penelope?
2. What school did Penelepe attend and where is it?
3. How has she been a good role model for students?
4. What trends have been happening with school attendance in the NT?
5. Name the benefits of therapy animals.

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Write the report
Write a school report for Penelope. Use the information in the story to help you comment on her participation, effort, and activities at school.

Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Personal and Social Capability

2. Extension
Write a letter to your state’s Minister for Education. The purpose of your letter is to convince them to start a program where every school can have an animal like Penelope the Pig.

Time: allow at least 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Health and Physical Education

VCOP ACTIVITY
1. Read this!
A headline on an article – or a title on your text – should capture the attention of your audience, telling them to read this now. So choosing the perfect words for a headline or title is very important.

Create three new headlines for the events that took place in this article. Remember, what you write and how you write it will set the pace for the whole text, so make sure it matches.