Service Learning

Making sure we are OK

In Week 8, our school community came together to recognise RU OK? Day, a national initiative that encourages us to stay connected with the people around us and to make asking “Are you OK?” part of everyday life.

This year’s message, “Ask R U OK? Any Day”, was an important reminder that meaningful conversations do not need to wait for one particular day of the year. Often, it is the small moments like noticing a change in someone, making time to listen or checking in again later that can have the greatest impact.

The celebrations began on Wednesday morning, with yellow R U OK? wristbands handed out to students as they arrived at school. The bright yellow bands were worn proudly throughout the remainder of the week, while R U OK? decorations across the school helped create a visible reminder to pause, connect and look out for one another. 

Students also took part in an R U OK? Day PCG Quiz on Wednesday morning. The quiz was designed not only to test students’ knowledge, but also to start conversations about how to recognise when someone may be having a difficult time, how to approach them and what meaningful support can look like. There was plenty of friendly competition between PCGs and Houses, with Mandela taking out the overall win with an impressive 56 points out of a possible 70. Congratulations, Mandela!

At the heart of R U OK? Day are four simple steps that can help guide a conversation: Ask R U OK?, Listen, Encourage Action and Check In. These steps remind us that we do not need to be experts or have the perfect words. Being present, listening without judgement and showing someone that we genuinely care can all be incredibly powerful tools in checking in on our mates and those around us

At St George’s, the message of R U OK? Day extends well beyond one Thursday in September. We hope our students continue to carry these conversations into their friendships, classrooms, families and wider community, remembering that any day is a good day to ask, “Are you OK?” 

Sleep Out in the City 

Our Murray Street Campus once again became home for the night as students came together for our annual Sleep Out in the City. On Friday night, 18 September, 26 participating students were joined by 10 Year 10 Anglicare Ambassadors and eight Year 12 students for an evening designed to deepen their understanding of homelessness, disadvantage and the barriers that can make finding stability incredibly difficult for so many young people.

The evening began by exploring an important idea: we do not all begin life from the same starting point. Through a Take a Step activity, students were given different circumstances and asked to move forwards or backwards depending on the opportunities, challenges and support available to their character. As the group quickly spread across the room, it became clear how factors such as family income, access to housing, transport, education, technology and support networks can influence the opportunities available to a person, often through circumstances completely outside their control.

Although we were unable to welcome a guest speaker from St Bart’s in person this year, we were incredibly grateful to receive a presentation from their team. This guided students through what homelessness can look like, some of the reasons people may find themselves without secure housing, and the challenges involved in trying to rebuild stability for many people today. It provided an important foundation for the activities that followed and encouraged students to look beyond common assumptions about poverty and homelessness.

Students then took part in a detailed homelessness simulation, coordinated by our Year 10 Anglicare Ambassadors. Participants moved between a range of simulated services and agencies, completing forms, seeking identification, applying for assistance and trying to secure the support they needed. However, things were rarely straightforward. Students could be sent elsewhere for another form, told they did not have the correct documentation, asked to wait, lose progress through a chance card or discover that the service they needed was unavailable or closed for the afternoon.

The frustration was very intentional. While only a simulation, the activity helped students recognise how exhausting and complicated it can be to navigate support systems when someone is already experiencing instability, financial hardship or homelessness.

One of the highlights of this year’s Sleep Out was a brand-new activity designed and facilitated by our Year 10 students. The activity focused on the challenges of securing shared accommodation and demonstrated just how difficult it can be to find somewhere affordable and appropriate to live. Students were faced with completing difficult and complex applicants, limited housing options and a variety of circumstances that influenced whether they could successfully secure a place to live or not. It was fantastic to see our Year 10s take ownership of the evening and develop an activity that was both engaging and meaningful for the younger students.

As the evening came to an end, students settled down with their cardboard, sleeping bags and pillows for a very different night at school. While one night in a safe and supervised environment could never replicate the realities of homelessness, the discomfort, tiredness and disruption of the evening with the noises of the city all around them provided an opportunity to reflect on something that thousands of people face without the certainty of knowing where they will sleep the following night.

The Sleep Out continues to be an incredibly valuable experience within our Service-Learning program. It challenges students to think beyond statistics and encourages them to consider the individual stories, circumstances and barriers that sit behind the many young people who are struggling with homelessness.

I am incredibly proud of the way our students approached the night with maturity, empathy and an openness to learn. A particularly big thank you to our Year 10 Anglicare Ambassadors, who led the evening, as well as our Year 12 students, who generously gave of their time to support the event.

Finally, a very special thank you to Miss Olivia Andrew, Mr Derek Cumpsty, Ms Emma Smith and Mrs Lynette Taylor, who gave up their own beds on a Friday night to support our students and make the Sleep Out possible.

The aim of the night was never to pretend that we could truly understand homelessness after one evening. Instead, it was about taking the time to listen, learn and recognise that where someone is today does not necessarily tell us the full story of how they got there. It most certainly raised awareness. 

Expressions of Interest - Samoa 2027

Year 10 and 11 students in 2027 are invited to submit expressions of interest for the AngliSchools Samoa Service-Learning Tour 2027.

This is a wonderful opportunity for students to take part in a meaningful service-learning experience at All Saints Anglican School in Apia, Samoa. 

Students will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the daily life and culture of Samoa, contribute to the school community, participate in community-based projects and activities, and experience the beauty, traditions and hospitality of Samoa. 

There are two tour options available in 2027:

• June/July Tour: Friday 18 June – Thursday 1 July 2027 
• September Tour: Friday 17 September – Thursday 30 September 2027 

The tour is open to students who will be in Years 10 or 11 in 2027. The approximate cost is $5,200, with places limited to 24 students per tour – combined with students from other AngliSchools.  Students who are interested are asked to complete the relevant Expression of Interest form by Sunday 18 October.  Students who do not have a preference between the two tours should complete both forms.

June/July Tour Expression of Interest:

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/tadiQYvQTD?origin=lprLink

September Tour Expression of Interest:

https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/H5paX3vTgc?origin=lprLink

Please note that students from Western Australia will miss the final week of term due to the alignment of school holiday dates between Samoa and the participating states. Students who are selected will need to be committed to catching up on any missed schoolwork while they are away.

Please contact Ms Yoxall for further information.

Miss Sadie Yoxall

Head of Service Learning & Camp Programs