From Year 7
On Friday 8 August, our Year 7 students gathered for a special Reflection Day themed Care for Our Earth. The day invited students to deepen their awareness of the interconnectedness between faith, creation, and justice, and to consider how they can be active stewards of the world God has entrusted to us.
The day began with an introduction to our theme and exploring what the Catholic Church teaches about our responsibilities in looking after the planet. We watched a Caritas video based on the Catholic Social Teaching Principal, Care for our Common home and viewed Pope Leo’s prayer intention for the month of August for mutual coexistence.
During the second session, students rotated through a series of interactive workshops designed to engage both the heart and mind. Activities ranged from a Water Justice Challenge, where students experienced the difficulty of accessing clean water, to an Oil Spill Clean-Up simulation and a College Trash Audit to examine how well we care for our own grounds. Others explored ethical consumer choices through a chocolate lens, investigated the effects of climate change using an air pollution simulation, and responded creatively through poetry and art inspired by Scripture. Most students who part-took in the Water Justice Challenged stated that the activity, led by Mr Steven Bina, was the most enjoyable.
After lunch, the students were able to decorate their own terracotta pot in which a seedling was planted – a reminder that even small actions can nurture life. The day concluded with a moving liturgy, where students prayed, sang, and reflected.
It was a day filled with learning, creativity, and faith in action – a true reminder that we are called, both individually and collectively, to “act justly, love tenderly, and walk humbly with our God” as caretakers of this beautiful Earth.
Marie-Claire Anastasiadis
Religious Education Learning Leader
Reflection day provided an exciting experience where the students of Year 7 were encouraged to learn about our common home, and how we can care for it through a range of hands-on activities. It was an opportunity to collaborate with others from different classes, and I enjoyed it very much.
Taliah Hornby
I really enjoyed Reflection Day and learning more about the environment and why we must take care of our Earth. The activities were very engaging, and through them, I learned new things and got to see how they worked. For example, during the oil spill activity, I was able to experiment myself and actually see how things worked, which I really enjoyed. Designing plants and participating in the liturgy at the end of a long day felt quite relaxing. Overall, this day was a fun and effective way to learn new things.
Summer De Domenico 7G
I liked reflection day because it helped me create a deeper understanding on how we can still save our world, even when nearly all hope is lost. They taught me strategies on how we ca clean up oil spills, make a clean environment, etc.
Xavier Luu
The activities were fun and very hands-on and told and showed me a lot about the environment that I didn't know. It made me very aware of what is happening in the world now and how we can save it.
Gigi Hoyer