Student

COMMUNITY SERVICE

• The Community Service Programs and Social Justice Projects are developed and run by the Head of Faith and Community Development in close partnership with Year Level Co-ordinators, Homeroom teachers and RE teachers. The aim of each experience is to provide students with the opportunity to put their faith into action, to “live” the Gospel values, not just learn about them in the RE classroom. In doing so, students are challenged to learn more about themselves, about the world outside school, and about their own faith journey. In developing such programs, consideration is always given to age-appropriate activities, to meaningful experiences for both students and the Community Service organisations, and to balancing the demands of curriculum.
  
  
• The Community Service Programs and Social Justice Projects are developed and run by the Head of Faith and Community Development in close partnership with Year Level Co-ordinators, Homeroom teachers and RE teachers. The aim of each experience is to provide students with the opportunity to put their faith into action, to “live” the Gospel values, not just learn about them in the RE classroom. In doing so, students are challenged to learn more about themselves, about the world outside school, and about their own faith journey. In developing such programs, consideration is always given to age-appropriate activities, to meaningful experiences for both students and the Community Service organisations, and to balancing the demands of curriculum.
  
  
• Year 7 – Caritas Project Compassion in Term 1. Developing a Social Justice Project for Year 7s in Semester 2 focusing on refugees and asylum seekers.
  
  
• Year 8 – Collections for Good Samaritan Inn in Preston, providing short-term crisis accommodation for women and children. Term 1 collection is to fill their pantry and cupboards with necessary food and household items. Term 2 is the Winter Woollies collection – donations of second-hand clothing & blankets, scarves knitted by Year 8 students. Term 4 is a collection of Christmas items for the women and children at the Inn and for Sr Anne to give out to homeless people on the Rosies Van.
  
  
• Year 9 – Semester 1 fundraising is for the breakfast program at the Aboriginal school, John Pujajangka-Piyirn Catholic School in Western Australia. Semester 2 collection is Christmas items for the St Luke’s Outreach Program Christmas hampers given out to needy people in the local Northern area. Throughout this year, a new Community Service program is being run with students from Years 9 Orange – White. Students assist in small groups at the following places – St Joseph the Worker Primary School Literacy Program, Ravenswood Hostel, Concord Special School, St Peter’s Primary School Literacy Program, Whittlesea City Council Meals on Wheels.
  
  
• Year 10 – Throughout the year small groups of student volunteers assist at the Lalor St Vinnie’s Centre. In Semester 1 there is the Winter Warm-up Collection of much needed household items for the Epping, Lalor and Mill Park St Vincent De Paul Conferences. In Semester 2 students put together packs of stationery items for 60 odd students who live in the housing commission flats in Richmond and whose schooling is funded by the East Melbourne St Vincent De Paul Conference.
  
  
• Year 11 – Throughout the year, students volunteer to assist with the lunch program at both Ozanam Community Centre and Ozanam House both in North Melbourne. In Semester 1, students collected toiletry items to make toilet bags for the men at Ozanam House. In Semester 2, students in their homerooms collect a number of different items needed to run the recreation program at Ozanam House – such as art, sporting and computer equipment.
  
  
• Year 12 – Student Leaders organize a Winter Sleep-out for Year 12 students to raise funds for the Melbourne CityMission’s work for the homeless. Currently, all Year 12 homerooms are on a weekly roster to collect cartons of long-life full-cream milk for the children looked after by Moira Kelly and the Children First Foundation based in Kilmore.
  
  
• Whole school – All members of the College community are invited to participate in any of the above collections as well as the World Vision 40 Hour Famine, the Melbourne CityMission Winter Sleep-out, and the can collection for the St Luke’s Outreach Program which takes place on the Feast of the Sacred Heart.