Mobiles needed

Russell School need those old bricks, cells and mobbys.

As part of the nationwide Phones for Rewards School Appeal promotion by the Starship Foundation, the school is collecting old cellphones.

There is a box in reception that had, by last count, 40 old dungers that have long passed their usefulness.

They can be ‘‘cashed in’’ for rewards from cameras and sports packages (55 and 85 old phones, respectively) up to the ultimate: an electronic whiteboard that connects to the internet.

This requires 1375 phones to be collected but that is the goal for Russell School, says teacher Laura Roberts.

They have two of the electronic whiteboards installed and would love a third.

‘‘They’re interactive and the kids just love them.

‘‘Many of the families here don’t tend to have computers or internet at home so this is something they get excited about and want to use every day.

‘‘It’s a great tool to have, we’d love one in every classroom but we have pretty tight budget restraints.’’

After sending a note home with students recently, and having a few dozen old phones handed in, the hope is to get the word out to the wider community.

So scour those bedside drawers or the third one down in the kitchen that normally has rubber bands, old pegs and pens that don’t work in it, to see if there’s an old mobile there.

The promotion has been run since 2010.

Phones collected by Starship are passed on to support the organisation’s National Air Ambulance Service which flies children from all over New Zealand to Starship Hospital.