It was a careers day of sorts, with pupils dressing up as what they want to be when they grow up for this year’s walkathon to raise money for the school. 

Lachlan Milne, 6, got a taste of what it was really like as a builder, doing the event in the rain and wind. 

His ambition reaches lofty heights it seems.

“(I want to build) tall buildings,” he said. 

Katelyn Barentsen, 11, was dressed as a dancer. 

She said the walkathon was for a good cause. 

“We’re raising money for school camps,” she said. 

School principal Trevor Edwards said there was a whole lot more involved in the day than just walking around the school oval. 

The fundraising was done by the students themselves. 

“They wrote to a large range of businesses throughout Ballarat, and then to follow up they actually phone the managers, people to assist with each particular business,” he said. 

“They were over $1000 in donations from throughout Ballarat, ultimately generated by the children.” 

Mr Edwards said this tied in well with the careers theme of the walkathon. 

“The very fact that they have to talk on a professional level (made it beneficial),” he said. 

“It was a great thing for these kids to do.”

Mr Edwards was impressed with the two who dressed up as a principals, and said he was kind enough to not share all the demands of the job with them. 

The spread of careers on show was great, as well. 

There was a monster truck driver, lawyers, doctors and some teachers as well, whose efforts could only have been successful in currying favour with the Napoleons staff. 

Mr Edwards said getting primary school-aged kids to think about careers was important because, even though plans will probably change, getting them to think about the future was a success. 

“The other aim (in addition to fundraising) is in lots of ways goal setting,” he said. 

“And then we can talk about how they can perhaps strive towards what they may wish to be in the future.” 

“With the older children, it’s about what they’d like to do, and they have researched their particular objective.” 

The money raised from the walkathon, which has been running for several years now, will go towards subsidising school camps. 

While the theme this year was more down to earth – perhaps Lachlan would have leaped tall buildings rather than built them in previous years – it was certainly a step in the right direction for the students.