Justice

Welcome to Mercy Term!

Term 3 is designated as our Mercy Term, a time when our school community turns its collective focus toward living out our core values through active service and compassion. Throughout this term, our primary focus will be supporting Mercy Charities, highlighting the impactful work of organisations rooted in the Mercy tradition like McAuley Community Services for Women. Through fundraising, awareness initiatives and our annual donation drives, students and staff are invited to put their faith into action and make a meaningful difference for those in need.

McAuley Donation Drive

Tomorrow marks the official launch of our annual McAuley Donation Drive! Running through to Thursday, 21 August, we are collecting essential items to support McAuley Community Services for Women.

McAuley Community Services for Women is a vital Mercy Charity dedicated to supporting women and children escaping family violence and homelessness. They provide safe housing, education, employment support and holistic care to help families rebuild their lives free from fear. The items collected during our donation drive go directly toward stocking their shelter wishlists, providing crucial everyday support, comfort and dignity to families in crisis. You can learn more about their life-changing work at https://www.mcauley.org.au/

To ensure McAuley receives a broad range of needed items, each year level has been assigned specific items from their wishlist:

Year 7: Toys (e.g. Lego, dolls, sporting equipment)
Year 8: Sanitary items (e.g. pads, tampons, menstrual cups, period undies)
Year 9: Art supplies (e.g. paints, brushes, charcoal, canvases, sketchbooks)
Year 10: Toiletries (e.g. shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothbrushes)
Year 11: Kitchen items (e.g. dinner sets, utensils, pots, pans)
Year 12: Bedding (e.g. single & double doonas, pillows, mattress protectors)
All Year Levels and Stafff: Gift cards (Coles, Woolworths, Myer, Big W, petrol, family activities like cinemas or zoos)

Donations will be collected during Mentor Group daily and brought to the Library. To add a bit of friendly spirit, the year level that brings in the most total donations will win a special morning tea hosted and served by the Justice Group!

Hayley Marriott from McAuley Community Services for Women will be visiting our school on Thursday, 21 August. She will speak at lunchtime in the Lecture Theatre to the Justice Group and any other interested students. Hayley will share more about the vital work McAuley does in the community and how our school's donations make a tangible difference in the lives of women and children. All students are warmly encouraged to attend.

Thank you in advance for your generosity and support in making this year's drive a success!

YML Inspires Year 12 Cohort

Last week, we were delighted to welcome Angela Scarafilo, Coordinator of Young Mercy Links, alongside member Olivia, to speak with our Year 12 students about how they can maintain their connection to the Mercy values after completing school.

Angela and Olivia shared how Young Mercy Links provides a vibrant platform for young adults to advocate for justice and act on issues close to their hearts—ranging from supporting local asylum seekers to raising awareness about global crises like the war in Sudan. They highlighted the incredible, life-changing experiences available through the network, including social justice immersions to Cambodia and the Grampians, as well as prestigious leadership pathways such as the internship with the Mercy Global Action team at the United Nations in New York.

Inspired by the opportunity to turn their values into action beyond the school gates, many Year 12 students signed up to stay connected with Young Mercy Links after graduation. We look forward to seeing the incredible impact they will continue to make!

To learn more about YML please visit their website at https://www.mercyhub.org.au/young-mercy-links.html

Sacred Heart Volunteering

We are thrilled to announce that volunteering at Sacred Heart is now officially open to our Year 9 students! This marks a significant milestone for the cohort, as it is their very first off-site volunteering opportunity at Academy. The program runs on Thursday mornings before school from 7:45 am to 8:30 am, aiming to make the morning fun, vibrant and welcoming, so that school is a place students look forward to coming to each day.

Participating Year 9 students will gain hands-on experience in community service by:

Serving breakfast to give students a healthy, nourishing start to their day.
Playing games and engaging in activities to build positive connections and foster a joyful atmosphere.

We are so proud to see how many Year 9s have already raised their hands, eager to step up, put their values into action and serve their broader community. Information on how interested students can sign up has been shared via email to students and their mentor teacher.

Celebrating NAIDOC Week

This term, our school community came together to honor NAIDOC Week, an annual Australian observance held nationally to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of First Nations peoples.

The acronym NAIDOC original stood for the National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee. Today, the term primarily refers to NAIDOC Week, an important national celebration. The official theme for this year's NAIDOC Week is "50 Years of Deadly." This milestone theme marks exactly five decades of the modern NAIDOC movement, celebrating the strength, pride and survival of First Nations cultures while honoring the Elders, artists and activists who have carried the movement forward.

Active Learning - Art & Craft

To move beyond passive observation and into active, respectful engagement, our students participated in two key activities:

The Sacred Art of Weaving: Students gathered for a peaceful Weaving Circle. Across many Indigenous communities, weaving is far more than a practical craft—it is a sacred practice of storytelling, community gathering and deep connection to Country. By learning to weave, our students engaged with an ancient, living art form passed down through generations. Participating in the patient rhythm of wrapping and stitching allowed our community to sit together, listen and honor the sophisticated knowledge systems, artistry and cultural endurance of First Nations peoples in the true spirit of reconciliation.
NAIDOC Week Colouring Competition: Students across all year levels showcased their creativity by entering our NAIDOC Week Colouring Competition, engaging reflectively with First Nations artwork and symbolism. A massive congratulations to our Colouring Competition winners who took out the top spots with their wonderful entries:
- Jenny of 7 Green
- Rosie of 9 Monash
Thank you to everyone who participated, created and helped make our NAIDOC Week celebrations so meaningful.

Community Action - Day 3

Yesterday, our Year 10 students stepped out of the classroom to participate in Day 3 of their Community Action (CA) program with the theme "Serving Our Community". The day was a wonderful showcase of our school values as students worked across unique off-site experiences, making a hands-on difference in the local community:

Caring for Country at Merri Creek: 10 Red and 10 Blue spent the day outdoors dedicated to environmental stewardship along Merri Creek. Students rolled up their sleeves to survey the types and amounts of litter impacting the waterway before collecting and removing the rubbish with the Merri Creek Management Committee. Throughout the day, they learned about the vital importance of local waterways and First Nations peoples' deep, enduring connection to Country. They also heard directly from volunteers at Friends of Merri Creek, observing and identifying native birds while gaining a richer understanding of why the creek is so crucial to native wildlife and how we can help sustain this precious habitat for future generations.

Fostering Intergenerational Connections at Mercy Place: Another student group spent meaningful time visiting the residents at Mercy Place East Melbourne. Through warm conversations, shared stories and engaging activities, our students brought plenty of joy and vibrant energy to the care facility. This visit highlighted the immense value of intergenerational relationships—bridging gaps between age groups, building empathy and offering both students and residents a wonderful sense of companionship and mutual learning.

Supporting Primary School Sport: Our fourth group put their leadership and teamwork skills to the test by assisting Trinity Primary School with their annual Athletics Day. Our students were a tremendous help on the track, taking charge of event setup, assisting teachers with marshalling, timing and recording results, and cheering on the younger primary athletes throughout the day. A huge congratulations to all Year 10 students for their enthusiasm, respect and dedication to serving others.

Coming up in Justice

Seeds of Justice Conference, Overnight: 10 & 11 August, selected Year 9 & 10 students
McAuley Donation Drive: 21 August, Guest Speaker
Cambodia Immersion: 23 August to 5 September
Mercy Works Presentation: 8 September
Mercy Works Bake Sale - Mercy Day: 11 September

Ms Mel Sachanandani

Justice Leader