Faith and Mission

Student and Staff reflections on the Year 9/10 elective program.

My Morals My Conscience: Excursion - Monday 20th May

The students in the Year 9/10 RE elective, My Morals My Conscious, embarked on a powerful learning journey – the Youth Homelessness City Tour. Stepping inside the historic Salvation Army building on 69 Bourke Street, they delved deeper into the causes and realities of homelessness in Australia, particularly the stress of Melbourne. The session wasn't just informative; it shattered stereotypes and challenged preconceived notions.

But the learning didn't stop indoors. The tour guides then led the students on a walk through the city, visiting sites that served as refuge for some. There, they heard first hand stories, fostering empathy and a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by homeless youth. This wasn't just a passive experience; the students actively participated in discussions and activities, sparking a sense of purpose within them, which relates directly to this year’s theme of Hope: Bringing a Sense of Purpose.  The Youth Homelessness City Tour exposed the students to a harsh reality; and in doing so, ignited a fire in their hearts, inspiring them to become agents of social justice and contribute to finding solutions.

Mary Attard & Despina Eleftheriadis 

(Teachers of My Morals My Conscience)

Student Reflections of the day

We appreciated the excursion a lot. We were introduced to the many reasons why youth homelessness occurs. The subject overall challenged how we often stereotype homeless people. The excursion enabled us to look beyond our stereotypes and understand the reasons homelessness occurs in Melbourne. We were presented with statistics that astonished us as we found out how many individuals below 12 were suffering from homelessness. The tour around the city streets opened our eyes to the real problems. 

Tejveer was especially taken back by the examples of where homeless people usually go. Dia, along with other students, was quite shocked by the real life stories shared on the day by our guide, Chloe. The excursion enabled us to look beyond what we already knew, and assumed, and we would recommend this excursion to anyone keen to learn more about this social justice issue.  

Tejveer, Dia and Ms Casey

From a student perspective, the excursion has given us an opportunity to gain a better understanding of youth homelessness, the different factors that contribute to the issue, and how we as citizens can support those in need. Our tour guide, Chloe told us true stories of people the Salvos organisation has helped and explained the different services the Salvos can provide. When we returned back to their Salvos establishment, Chloe told us more about their services such as the Magpie Nest Cafe, which offers food, water and opportunities that would help those that need it, and the Pink Car, which is another service that looks out for stranded women late at night. In addition to that, Chloe informed us of statistics that showed the different types and causes for homelessness, such as overcrowded dwellings and the cost of living crisis. 

We were given interactive and engaging activities that opened our eyes to the reality of homelessness, rather than just basing our opinions off looks and stereotypes. The most compelling part of the excursion was learning about other people’s stories and visiting the locations mentioned in their stories. It gave us a visual perspective of what it would be like to live in such poor conditions and helped us gain a better understanding of what many people can go through every day. 

Christine & Emma

GET MAD - Making a Difference 

Teacher: Kellie Illichmann

My goal this year is to implement LJLP into my history/civics electives at Year 9/10.  The Get MAD (Making a Difference) class seemed the perfect place to start. As students and staff in a Kildare Ministries School, we are committed to walking in solidarity with oppressed people and seeking to change society by challenging injustice, relieving suffering and providing hope for a more just, equitable and peaceful society.

In our final assessment task, the student's are challenged to design and implement a community action plan related to an issue they're passionate about. It could be one of the topics we studied in class or one that we did not get to cover. By engaging in real-world action and reflection, this assessment not only evaluates their understanding of the issue but also empowers them to make a tangible impact in their community.

As a part of the assessment they need to complete the 90 second video entry for the Parliament Prize competition. The competition asks them what they would say to parliament if they were an MP and invites them to submit their own 90-second Member’s Statement video. A bonus is that they win a cash prize for themselves and the school!

Ms Bernadette Casey

Assistant to the Principal - Faith