I am excited to share two important initiatives happening in our school community.

Caring for Creation – Our New Recycling Bins

We have introduced three new coloured recycling bins around the school to help students learn how to sort their waste correctly. These bins make it easier for children to separate paper and cardboard, Return and Earn items and general waste.

Until our Student Representative Council (SRC) is established, our Year 6 leaders have been working closely with me to collect, sort and empty the blue paper/cardboard bins and the yellow Return and Earn bins. Through this hands-on experience, they are learning what it means to serve others with humility and to lead positive change within our school. In just 3 weeks, StMM has filled a whole skip bin of recycled paper/cardboard and around 280 poppers, bottles and cans for the 10c Return and Earn program. During Lent the proceeds of this recycling will go towards Caritas Project Compassion.

Recycling helps save natural resources like trees, water and minerals. It reduces the amount of rubbish going to landfill and uses less energy than creating new products from scratch. Most importantly, it teaches our children that their everyday choices matter. By building simple recycling habits now, we are helping students understand how their actions can protect our environment and care for God’s creation for future generations.

You may like to watch this short video together at home which helps explain the importance of recycling and caring for our common home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lL0NMnJNWI8

We are called to be stewards of creation - to look after the world God has entrusted to us. Teaching children about the impact of rubbish on oceans, wildlife and communities helps them grow in responsibility, gratitude and care for others.

Launch of Project Compassion 2026 – Caritas Australia

On Ash Wednesday, we began our Lenten journey and officially launched Project Compassion 2026 with the theme Unite Against Poverty.

Throughout Lent, we are invited to stand together in solidarity with communities around the world - choosing compassion, justice and hope in action. Project Compassion, led by Caritas Australia, supports vulnerable communities through long-term solutions that empower people to break the cycle of poverty.

During this sacred season, students are encouraged to live their faith through prayer, generosity and small sacrifices that can make a big difference. Each class has received a Project Compassion donation box. If you are able to contribute, your generosity will be deeply appreciated and will help bring hope and dignity to those most in need.

Our Faith Community and Partnership Leaders gathered with students from across the Catholic Diocese of Parramatta to prayerfully launch Project Compassion in unity and solidarity. During the celebration, each school received a small bottle of holy water blessed by Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen, symbolising that water is a precious gift and reminding us that many communities around the world still lack access to safe, clean water. Together, students stood in support of vulnerable communities, committing to live out compassion, justice and hope in action throughout Lent.

In our classrooms during Lent, we’ll be sharing four inspiring stories of resilience and strength, showing the kind of transformative change that we can play a part in achieving.

We will first be introduced to Sisilia, a young student from Tanzania, who often missed classes at school because she had to walk long distances to collect water every day. Thanks to Project Compassion and the support of schools just like ours, her community now has safe, clean water nearby – giving Sisilia more time to learn and chase her dreams of one day becoming a pilot.

We’ll also get to know Monoranjon from Bangladesh, who is using climate-smart farming to feed his family and build a safer, more sustainable future for his children. We’ll meet Manaini, a mother of six and a grandmother of two from remote Fiji, who is learning food processing skills to create new income opportunities. And we’ll shine a light on Caritas Jerusalem staff in Gaza, who have endured displacement, personal loss and danger, yet remain committed to providing life-saving support to those in need.

Watch Caritas Australia’s Introduction to Project Compassion film HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf73D7T2nJ0 to be inspired by these stories and learn about the impact your support can have on vulnerable communities around the world.

Our school has the opportunity to be a part of a nationwide movement for change and to pave the way to a brighter future for people and families across the world. We can’t do it without you - will you stand with us?

Let us walk together this Lent — united in compassion, service and hope.

With gratitude and blessings,

Krystle Perera

Faith in Action Team Coordinator

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