Weatherman drops in on school

ALL eyes were turned skyward as celebrity weatherman John Schluter (below right) dropped in from the clouds for a day with the kids at Ipswich Central State School yesterday.

Hundreds of students formed the school's acronym on the oval as the red chopper circled its landing position on the cricket pitch.

There was a massive, high pitched cheer as the well-known Channel 7 weatherman climbed out of his seat to greet admirers.

Mr Schluter said he was impressed at the speed at which the students assembled to create their welcome sign.

"We got some great zoom-in shots for tonight's news," he told students.

The school made an event of the visit, with radio station Family 96.5FM holding a live broadcast from the assembly hall, and the P&C organising a community fun day to raise money for the chaplaincy program.

Ipswich Central State School administration officer Jeanette Linde said the school needed to raise about $12,000 a year to ensure its chaplain could continue to assist students three days a week.

Chaplain Keiko Morita oversees initiatives such as the Breakfast Club program, which provides the most important meal of the day for kids who don't always get the privilege of breakfast at home.

Ms Morita also supervises children who experience difficulty socialising.