As Term 2 comes to an end, I am so proud of the remarkable community spirit our students have demonstrated. From throwing a bucket of ice-cold water over their Principal, Deputy Principal and Head of Middle School (yes, that was the three of us getting absolutely soaked!) to rolling up their sleeves for community work, our students continued to show their compassion in action.
When Kate Thomas, our Service Learning Prefect, first approached me about participating in the MND Ice Bucket Challenge, my first thought was how to get out of this politely. I absolutely hate the cold and looking like a drowned rat in front of the whole School community was most unappealing. But in recognition of the Prefects’ desire to raise awareness about this debilitating and terminal disease and their ingenuity in holding their own BIG Freeze, I had to put my own discomfort aside to support them. How could I say no? The community’s enthusiasm to see the three of us get dunked led to incredibly generous donations and the students smashing their fundraising target. The Prefects had earned the right to drench us in ice-cold water during half time at the St Peter’s Girls Fight MND Awareness Football Game between the STEM and the Humanities students.
Our regular Saturday night cooking at the Mary Magdalene Centre continues to highlight the compassion of our students. They have taken on the preparation and service of meals with enthusiasm and respect. It has been rewarding to see their growing understanding of community needs while making a meaningful contribution to others’ lives.
Kick Start for Kids is a program that our Year 10 Kennion students actively participate in. Every Tuesday morning, Saints Girls attend Allenby Gardens Primary School to serve breakfast to children who may not have access to a morning meal at home. During these visits, our students have broadened their understanding of the lives of others while warmly interacting with the children and helping them to feel at ease before their school day begins.
Our Year 11 School Trip to the APY Lands is an opportunity to engage with remote communities in the north-west desert region of South Australia where people speak in Pitjantjatjara and English is the second language. Our students are involved in organising and leading educational programs and learn traditional ways and the deep connection to the land by spending a day “on country” with elders. Students return with a deeper understanding of indigenous lifestyles and perspectives.
What continuously amazes me is how often community initiatives spring from the students themselves. Whether it’s organising bake sales, cutting off their ponytails, dunking their Heads of Schools with iced water, or proposing entirely new projects, they approach each cause with creativity, care and determination to achieve the goals they set. Our students understand that giving back is about so much more than just raising money – it’s about building connections, continuing to grow in care and compassion by putting yourself into the shoes of others, and in making a real difference to people’s lives.
Thank you to all families who have supported these efforts and for cheering on your children’s participation. Your support makes these meaningful experiences possible. Most of all, thank you to our students for continuing to show compassion and such community spirit – I can’t wait to see what brilliant ideas you come up with next term!
I can’t conclude this final eNews of Term 2 without mentioning our School musical. Those of you who were privileged enough to attend Newsies are probably cancelling your trips to Broadway and the West End. To all students and staff who made this show such an outstanding success, I will leave you with the words of the reviewer from The Theatre Association of South Australia:
“This Newsies was not just a school production — it was a showcase of what can be achieved when student leadership, artistic discipline, and creative ambition come together. With just under 100 students involved, the scale and quality of the work spoke to the strength of the school’s Performing Arts program.”
