R.E. News

Last week, our newly formed Mini Vinnies team attended the inspiring Kids View Conference held at Stella Maris. The central theme of the day was Social Justice, providing our students with a powerful opportunity to look beyond their own backyards and understand the challenges faced by others globally. From the moment they arrived, our students were challenged to step out of their comfort zones. Instead of staying in their familiar school groups, they were encouraged to mix, collaborate, and share ideas with students from various other schools. It was wonderful to see our Mini Vinnies rise to the occasion, showing great leadership and social confidence.

The heart of the conference involved listening to guest speakers, including some who travelled from the Philippines to share moving, firsthand accounts of what it is like to grow up in severe poverty. To help truly understand these realities, our students participated in an eye opening simulation activity. Each student was assigned the persona of a real child, each with a different socio economic status. They then competed in everyday activities where their assigned status gave them either unfair advantages or massive disadvantages. This hands on experience vividly demonstrated how being born into poverty makes simple, everyday necessities, like attending school, getting clean water, or finding food, an uphill battle.

The day was not just about learning, it was about action. Armed with a newfound awareness of their own privilege, our Mini Vinnies spent the final session brainstorming creative, practical ways they can help those in need, both locally and globally. We are incredibly proud of how thoughtfully our students engaged with such heavy and important topics, and we look forward to seeing how our Mini Vinnies team brings these brilliant ideas to life in our school community this term.

Lucas Mangani

Deputy Principal | RE Leader