Anglican Communion News Service

With the Olympics less than a month away, Sydney's Anglican schools are preparing for key roles in the Olympics. Excitement is building at St Andrew's Cathedral School. Beginning with the torch relay, where Year 12 students Melissa Hopwood, Miriam Wyzenbeek and Matthew Wells will represent their fellow students and the city's youth, the School will be heavily involved in festivities come September.

The torch will arrive in Sydney city on September 14 where Lord Mayor Frank Sartor will receive it. It will burn in a special cauldron in front of Sydney Town Hall, which is next door to St Andrew's Cathedral and the Cathedral School.

The school was invited to submit three nominations by the Lord Mayor's Office. They opted to use the invitation to select students and, to their surprise and delight, all three nominated names were accepted.

"We looked for kids who have made a contribution and who are doing things consistent with the School and Olympic spirit," said SACS Principal Phillip Heath.

"Students represent the youth, and I think there is a great field of mission among young people for this school. The kids are absolutely over the moon, they can't believe it."

The School also has deep connections to the Paralympics, with the Student Business Club setting out to raise $100,000 towards the staging of the Games. So far, they are on track to reach or even exceed their goal.

Three more students, Summer Howarth, Dacien Hadland and Danielle King have been selected to carry the Paralympic torch, after being heavily involved in the fundraising project.

Mr Heath said the students had shown great initiative in the fundraising project. "They wanted to turn their hand to something that was community spirited, something that would allow them to be supporting other people," he said. "Spiritually, I think that is very important."

But the School's involvement won't end there. While much of Sydney's CBD prepares to go into hibernation for the duration of the Games, SACS will become a hive of activity as it plays host to the Archbishop of Sydney's Olympic Games Taskforce. In addition, the School's senior college, the Bishop Barry Centre, will house the New Zealand Olympic Committee for the duration of the Games. The NZOC will use the facility as its command centre for hospitality and performance analysis, as well as for exhibitions of New Zealand travel, tourism and culture. A number of smaller Oceania countries will also use the facility for displays and stalls.

Many of Sydney's other Anglican schools are playing a similar role.

Abbottsleigh School is hosting police personnel while the prestigious SHORE school, which has Harbour views from North Sydney, has been completely hired out by sports manufacturer Adidas. Trinity Grammar School is hosting the Tanzanian team in its day board center - a converted aged care nursing home.

The Rev Greg Webster, Chaplain of Trinity, said he hoped the students would develop broader horizons through contact with the Tanzanians. A centrepiece of Mr Webster's efforts was to be a visit to the school by the Archbishop of Tanzania, Donald Mtetemela, who is visiting Australia with CMS. However his visit was cancelled because the Archbishop is still feeling the after effects of a recent illness.

Similar efforts are being made at The Kings School and Tara Anglican School for Girls. Both schools are at Parramatta, less than 10 minutes from the Olympic Stadium at Homebush. Both will house fire and security personnel during the Olympics, while Tara will also be a centre for Bulgarian team officials.

The chaplaincy team at Kings said they have made the Olympics a major theme for ministry to the boys this year. With Kings winning the GPS athletics championships at the Olympic Stadium, the Games have been the theme in preaching at chapel. Guest speakers have included Stuart Gyngell, chaplain to Athletics Australia, and champion paralympian Stephen Wilson.

Mr Heath from St Andrews Cathedral School says he is viewing the Olympics and Paralympics as part of the school's long-term strategy to be involved in reaching out to Sydney.

"Being a school linked with the Cathedral, we have a strong ministry focus," he said. "The more we can have a valid voice in the city, the more we will be able to be salt and light in this city, and the more we can help further the Cathedral's own ministry."