Chaplain's Chat

Service Activity | Clean Up Australia Day

Our Year 8 Community and Engagement Volunteering students have begun visiting Twin Rivers Specialist School and BUPA Aged Care. This week, students partnered with BUPA residents to participate in an additional activity focused on Clean Up Australia Day.

Although this activity had only a small environmental impact, the connection between residents and students was profoundly meaningful. BUPA’s activity coordinator shared that their residents "had not stopped talking about our students since their first visit." Providing opportunities for connection in the beautiful surroundings of Moama Botanic Gardens was incredibly enriching for the residents and a valuable experience for students, highlighting the importance of small acts of kindness.

Pancakes and Ash Wednesday

This week, we also cleaned out the cupboards as we made pancakes for Shrove Tuesday. The tradition of eating these delicious foods dates back centuries when Lent required certain ingredients to be used up before the period of fasting. For our school community, it serves as a wonderful opportunity to come together around food, providing a meaningful lead-in to Lent. Thank you to our Parents and Friends for preparing pancakes for our Primary students and to our Student Leaders and Year 8 tutors for making pancakes for our Secondary students.

We began our Lenten journey with a service for the Giving of the Ashes, reminding us that earthly things do not last forever and that the cross points us to Jesus as our source of hope and life. Confession is a key part of this service, offering an opportunity for self-reflection. Students were also encouraged to take part in the 40 Acts Challenge, an initiative to embrace Lent generously by incorporating small yet impactful acts of kindness each day—spreading the love of Jesus through simple, transformational actions.

Regards,

Rev. Tim Bowles

Chaplain