Ms Sarah Bethune STEM in the Early Years

Name: Ms Merran O’Connor Title: Deputy Principal, Director of Student Wellbeing Date: 13 August 2021 Strategic Intent: Wellbeing & Leadership

COMPASSION AND CREATIVITY COMBINE IN COMMUNITY SERVICE

Our time on campus has taken on a new and precious tenor this year. A sense of community has never been more important, both at School and in the wider community. Reflecting on the past weeks, the strength of our community has been very evident. St Catherine’s students and families have reached out to volunteer, donate and participate for the greater good. Community service events and activities have highlighted both the power of individuals and the impact of teamwork. Combining their passion for creative writing, the Years 7 and 8 English Honours classes formed two teams and took part in the Write a Book in a Day competition. In addition to raising funds for The Kids’ Cancer Project, this initiative promotes literacy, collaboration and creativity. The students were given ten hours to write, illustrate, and submit a storybook targeted to a youth audience. The completed books were uploaded to an online library to give access to children undergoing treatment in hospitals across the country and have also been included in the Barbreck and Nicholas Library fiction collections. Challenges such as these build empathy and social awareness, as well as giving the students the opportunity to develop life skills such as teamwork, problem-solving and leadership. Through gaining sponsorship for the writing challenge, the students raised funds for vital medical research into childhood cancer. Christine Chi, a member of the Year 8 Right2Right team, shared her enthusiasm for the activity saying, “The best thing about doing this is that you get to do something you love, knowing it is going to a good cause. I also enjoy collaborating with my friends.” The Fight MND cause is close to the heart of Year 10 student Mietta Passon, who raised, not only community spirit, fun and laughter, as students delighted in dunking teachers, and even the Principal, but over $10,000 to go towards research to help find a cure for MND. The Big Freeze ‘Dunk a teacher’ initiative was part of Mietta’s Dark Blue Leadership Diploma, which encourages Year 10 students to plan, facilitate and lead a community event or activity. Similarly, the CF Walk, initiated by Year 7 student Kari Prendergast, enabled Kari to pursue a cause that is close to her heart to raise awareness and funds for Cystic Fibrosis research. All Years 7 and 8 students participated in the walk on Monday 2 August. The ‘One Day, Two Futures’ Giving Day campaign provided an opportunity for the whole community to come together to contribute to the St Catherine’s Hardship Fund. The generosity of the community raised funds to cover the tuition fees for two future students whose families would otherwise not be able to afford a St Catherine’s education for their daughters. In keeping with the goals of the Towards 2025 Strategic Plan, our School fosters a sense of student agency, adherence to the Values of Integrity and Empathy and a strong sense of service engagement and endeavour.

Ms Merran O’Connor

Deputy Principal, Director of Student Wellbeing