HATS OFF TO CLASS OF 20 18

AS HUNDREDS of Townsville Year 12 students pack their bags for the rite of passage that is Schoolies Week, one mum has spoken out about the mad rush of preparation and how trusting kids to behave was the best way to approach the experience.

Natalie Davison’s daughter, St Anthony’s Year 12 student Jessica, 17, will head to Airlie Beach this weekend to celebrate the end of 12 gruelling years of school life.

“She’s wanted to go to Schoolies since she was four,” Ms Davison said.

“We had older neighbours that went, and as soon as she saw them going, she said this is what I want to do.”

Ms Davison said the privilege of going to Schoolies was a reward, not a right.

“She’s worked so hard, she truly has,” she said.

“The reward is she’s able to go.

“She has to pay for that herself, and if she hadn’t worked hard then you don’t get a prize.”

Ms Davison said conveniently, she would be travelling south for work the week of Schoolies and would be just an hour down the road if anything should happen.

“I’ll be there; I will go into Airlie and check on them,” she said.

“At one stage my girlfriends and I were all going, but we have decided against it.

“If parents think their kids going to Schoolies is the first time they’ll be drinking alcohol, they’re so badly mis- taken. She ( Jessica) has got to come home to my house, so don’t muck up too bad.”

Ms Davison said Jessica and her group of friends would carpool with parents to get to and

THE MUMS HAVE A FACEBOOK CHAT GOING, WE’RE MAKING FOOD FOR THEM, MAKING SURE THEY’VE GOT WATER AND ARE ACTUALLY EATING SOMETHING. NATALIE DAVISON

from Airlie for road safety purposes and to ensure their cars didn’t sustain any damage while at the event.

“They all drive and they all have cars but they’re not tak- ing them — they’ve all invested in Kmart Razor scooters,” she said. “The mums have a Facebook chat going, we’re making food for them, making sure they’ve got water and are actually eating something.”

Ms Davison said she was fairly at ease with the Schoolies experience, and was confident her daughter and her friends would take care of each other with the help of organisers, police and youth support network the Red Frogs.

“Her group of friends are really good,” she said.

“They are so smart now, lit- tle things like buying cups with lids and straws to make sure they don’t get spiked — we never thought of that when I was at Schoolies, they’re really conscious of danger.”