Justice and Outreach
As a Catholic School in the Dominican tradition, we seek to engage every student in initiatives of awareness, advocacy and action with a view that this will become a life-long commitment to the values of charity, service and outreach.
The program calls all students to examine their beliefs and contribution to the community and encourages participation at many levels.
This is achieved through:
Formalising justice and outreach through student leadership with the official appointment of a Year 12 Justice College Captain and a Year 12 Justice Deputy Captain, alongside a committee that consists of two representatives from each Care Group from Reception to Year 12
Year level focus issue and charitable organisation to build awareness, education and action
Teaching units which communicate the concepts behind community service and the meaning of community development
Year 11 Service Learning
Encouraging students to plan/ participate in projects relevant to the year level focus
Creating opportunities for caring interaction between students and the wider community, which involves people and groups that are marginalised and disadvantaged within our community
Providing a climate whereby students give feedback to their peer group on the experiences they have had and the meaning of those experiences within their St Mary’s education
Providing an opportunity for Year 11 students to participate in the annual Vietnam Immersion Tour to Phu My Orphanage in Ho Chi Minh City, the Oak Valley Maralinga-Tjarutja Lands Immersion or the Cambodian Immersion Tour to Battamban
Mission For Justice
Numerous activities are initiated throughout the year to promote an awareness of justice and outreach within the College community.
Some of these activities include:
- Project Compassion
- Easter Appeal for Vietnam
- Harmony Week
- World Environment Day
- International Women's Day
- Recycling
- Reconciliation Week
- Just Leadership Days
- World Refugee Day
- St Vinnies Winter Appeal
- Vinnies on Parade
- 40 Hour World Vision Sacrifice
- Vinnies Year 12 Sleepover
- Live Below the Line
- Hutt Street Centre "Walk a Mile"
- Justice Day
Year Level Focus
The Justice Program involves singular year level focuses on particular issues. The Year Level focus allows students to gain an awareness and understanding of one particular issue and to raise funds where appropriate. For example:
- Junior School - Moore St Centre/Vietnam Phu My Orphanage
- Year 7 - Moore St Centre
- Year 8 - Providence Centre, Battambang, Cambodia
- Year 9 - St Vincent de Paul Microcredit Partnership Programs
- Year 10 - Indigenous Perspectives
- Year 11 - Service Learning
- Year 12 - Various local and international organisations
