After some budding writers in Year 6S convinced their teacher, Miss Smith, to donate money to The Orangutan Project.

As the students found out every orphan cared for has lost its mother due to poaching, or may have been killed after wandering onto a palm oil or paper plantation.

The pupils have also raised a further $100 in the hope of sponsoring another vulnerable orangutan.

Proudly showing off a box full of silver coins, class member Max Andrews says everyone puts their change from canteen in there.

SHPS principal Simon Mulready explains the pleasing outcome was a result of a generous and inspiring member of his staff.

“Miss Smith had earned $50 from tutoring and wanted to donate it to a charity,” he says.

“So, as a way of engaging her class, she got them to write a persuasive text to try and convince her which charity it should be donated it to.”

Her students responded with great enthusiasm and produced some very well-constructed arguments after being allowed to select a charity of interest, Mr Mulready says.

But the two most convincing persuasive texts had researched the plight of the endangered orangutan.

“We made the teacher cry,” Max says.