Lifeskills is a voluntary program at Revesby South which is designed to teach students about financial matters in an appealing yet financial way. It provides opportunities for all students, including gifted and talented, to explore new ways of thinking and applying these ideas into action, develop leadership skills and work as a member of a team. It also forms an important part of learning social interaction and time management skills at this level.
Students are able to earn money (School Buckaroos) in a number of ways:
- K-1 by recycling aluminium cans from home and participating in Gardening Club.
- Years 2 – 6 by working a shift (lunchtimes, afternoon tea times or before school) in a variety of roles such as soap making, craft based activities, bath bombs making, gardening, can recycling and banking.
Students are responsible for depositing their cheques and Buckaroos into their Lifeskills bank accounts which they receive from the Business Director the week following their completed shift. Students can then spend this money in two ways:
- at a Market Day, held twice per year, usually during terms 2 and 3
- at an Auction, held twice per year, usually during terms 2 and 3
In addition, students in Years 2 – 6 are able to operate their own businesses at Market Day. Students provide and sell their own merchandise. All profits in Buckaroos are retained by the stall holders and shared evenly amongst the workers on the stall.
The bank and money exchange booths on these days enable the students to learn the processes of bank withdrawals and currency values. (eg: $1 = 10 BR) The Lifeskills program enables students to enjoy learning about the "real world" in a stimulating environment but with real demands and rewards.