Justice

Project Compassion 2026 – Lent Campaign

Our school has launched Project Compassion 2026 for Lent, inviting students to put our Courage to Care theme into action through fundraising and awareness for communities facing poverty and injustice.

We began the campaign with a very successful Shrove Tuesday Pancake Stall, which raised $230 – a fantastic way to kick off our Project Compassion efforts.

Thank you to all students and staff who cooked, served and bought pancakes. Over the coming weeks, mentor group fundraisers will be running across the school, including:

11 Silver – Zooper Dooper Stall
10 Silver – Lolly Kebab & Treat Stall
9 MacKillop – Bake Sale
10 Blue – Hot Cross Buns for sale

These are just a few examples of the creative ways students are raising money and learning about global justice. The campaign will culminate in our “Longest Coin Chain” event, where every coin counts towards supporting Caritas Australia’s life‑changing work through Project Compassion.

Thank you for your ongoing support in helping our students live out compassion in action this Lent.

March for Women – Big Water Walk

Today, Friday 6 March, our students and staff took part in our March for Women/Big Water Walk as part of Wellbeing Week and our Project Compassion 2026 campaign. Students were invited to wear casual clothes and donate $2, with all funds going towards our Project Compassion fundraising.

During the day, students walked laps of the Carlton Gardens, carrying buckets of water in solidarity with women and girls around the world who walk long distances every day just to collect water for their families. This action connected directly with the Project Compassion story of Sisilia from Tanzania, a 13‑year‑old who used to walk to a dirty canal three times a day to fetch water, often missing school and suffering from waterborne illness. Thanks to Project Compassion, her village now has clean water close to home and school, transforming daily life.

Our Big Water Walk helped students understand this reality in a tangible way, while raising funds so that more communities can access wells, taps and water tanks through Caritas Australia’s programs. We thank all families for their generous support in helping our young people walk for women, water and justice.

Women’s Wellbeing Week

This week, Earth at Academy and the Justice Group teamed up for Women’s Wellbeing Week to run a clothes and linen drive supporting the charity Big Group Hug.

Big Group Hug is a volunteer‑driven organisation that supports vulnerable children and families across Victoria by providing essential items such as clothing, bedding, toiletries, prams, car seats and toys. Each year they deliver over 120,000 essential items to more than 6,000 children, while also diverting tonnes of good-quality textiles from landfill.

Students and staff were asked to donate women’s and children’s clothing that they would be happy to give a friend, as well as bed linen such as sheets and doona covers. These items will be passed on through Big Group Hug to women and families seeking support, including those affected by financial hardship and family violence.

The activity was not only about charity, but also about sustainability and community building. Students from across the school helped by:

bringing in high‑quality pre‑loved items
sorting donations into sizes and genders
bagging and packing items ready for distribution

Through this, our students saw how simple actions—cleaning out wardrobes and giving good clothes a new life—can support families in need and reduce textile waste. It was a powerful example of Mercy values in action: justice, care for the earth and solidarity with women and children doing it tough.

This initiative not only supports families practically, it also minimises landfill from fast fashion by keeping good-quality clothing and linen in use rather than sending them to waste. By redistributing these items to women and children who need them, the drive uplifts women with dignity and choice, allowing them to receive clean, wellcared‑for clothing and bedding at a time when finances or circumstances may be overwhelming.

Community Action Program – Courage to Care

In 2026, our Year 10 students will take part in a renewed Community Action Program, a key part of our Justice and Mercy education at the Academy. While the program is centred on Year 10, it reflects values and partnerships that involve and benefit our whole school community.

This year we are trialing a new format that focuses on building strong, ongoing partnerships with local organisations and community groups. The program is grounded in our college theme, “Courage to Care” – active compassion, kindness and support for people on the margins, inspired by Catherine McAuley and the Mercy tradition.

Across the year, each Year 10 mentor group will participate in four Community Action Days, rotating through experiences that invite students to:

Care for Country – environmental projects such as beach clean-ups, tree planting and local conservation.
Care for Community – partnering with local primary schools to support learning and extracurricular activities.
Care for the Elderly – visiting aged-care facilities to offer companionship, conversation and hospitality.
Care for the Vulnerable – supporting vulnerable people in need through hands-on service and acts of compassion.

Community Action days are scheduled for:

Tuesday, 24 March
Tuesday, 16 June
Thursday, 30 July
Wednesday, 7 October
Reflection Day – date TBC

Through these experiences, students will explore different areas of need in our community, develop leadership and empathy, and discover practical ways they can make a positive difference—now and into the future. A dedicated Reflection Day later in the year will invite students to reflect on “Care for the Future” and their call to be the “shining lamps” who carry the Mercy story forward.

Further details and permission information will be sent to Year 10 families via Consent2Go. We thank all parents and carers across the school for supporting our young people as they live out Mercy in action through this new Community Action Program.

📬The Academy Stamp Box! 📬

Did you have a cleanout over the summer break or receive Christmas cards in the mail? If you found any used stamps, we want them! We will be collecting stamps throughout the year, and your ongoing support is greatly appreciated. If your workplace receives stamps, we would be grateful if you could collect them for us. Additionally, if you have any personal stamp collections you are able to donate, we would warmly welcome them. Every contribution makes a difference!

We're collecting used or new stamps to raise money for those in need around the world. Sounds small, right? But here’s the kicker: Stamp donations can raise between $35,000 and $40,000 every year. That’s a serious impact from something you might usually toss in the bin!

How it works:

Snip your stamps-leave about 1 cm of envelope around the edge. Or, bring in the whole envelope. We accept both used and brand new stamps, but used stamps are preferred (yes, even from your mail at home).

Got an old stamp collection? We’ll take that too! We send the stamps to auction, and the money raised goes toward grants that help communities in need around the world. Where can you drop off your stamps? The Stamp Station is located at Student Reception, open before school, at recess and lunch, and after school.

Upcoming events

Harmony Day - 21 March

Ms Mel Sachanandani

Justice Leader