Chaplain's Chat

Connecting with Community

This past fortnight, our students have discovered the place of Christ Church Anglican Echuca, both as the gathering place of God's family (Kinder) and in understanding how local churches serve our community (Year 6).

Kinder Church Excursion

In Religious and Values Education, Mrs McMaster connected with the broader theme of family, which Kinder explored with their classroom teachers earlier in the year. They have explored the different expressions of God’s family in the Bible before venturing to our local Anglican church to explore where they meet to pray, learn from the Bible, sing and serve.

Year 6 Recycling Runway Excursion

Our students have been learning about the Common Good in RVE and exploring how they can work for the common good of others and our world through their clothing choices. After exploring how the disadvantaged can be exploited through some current supply chains and the environmental impact of discarded clothing waste, it was time to put into action the third and fifth Marks of Mission, ‘standing in solidarity with the poor and needy’ and ‘protect, care for and renew life on our planet.’

Here is a reflection by Penrose Knight and Shriya Rayas:

On Monday the 7th of September, Year 6 went on an excursion to two different op shops, EpiCentre Church Opshop and Christ Church Anglican Echuca Opshop. We were tasked to find an outfit that we could wear to school for one day. We each had a budget of $10 to spend on items. We chose clothes from the op shops instead of buying something brand new because we wanted to help reduce clothing waste and give pre-loved clothes another use.

After choosing our outfits, we wore them to school the next day. Once we were finished with them, we returned the clothes to the opshops to complete the recycling process. This experience showed us how easy it can be to reuse clothing instead of always buying new things. It also helped us understand how op shops can play an important role in reducing waste and making fashion more sustainable.

As a grade, we went to the op shop as part of our RVE learning. We were asked to experience a change in our everyday lives so that we could explore the marks of mission, which focuses on caring for others and responding to people in need. Visiting the op shop allowed us to step outside of our usual routines and experience something different while thinking about how our actions can impact others.

The experience also helped us learn about sustainability and the importance of reusing and donating items. By visiting the op shop, we were able to see how second-hand goods can be given a new life while also supporting people in our community. Overall, the experience encouraged us to think about how we can make positive changes in our own lives and show care for others.

Keep looking at the birds. 

Kind regards,

Rev. Tim Bowles

Chaplain