Sustainability News

EarthCare School 

We are a Catholic EarthCare School!

A great cultural, spiritual and educational challenge stands before us, and it will demand that we set out on the long path of renewal. (Pope Francis, Laudato Si’)

Last week, Mrs Kirrilee Westblade attended the official Sandhurst launch of the EarthCare Schools program in Victoria. Bishop Shane commissioned us together with other Sandhurst schools and parishes to Laudato Si' Action. 

Catholic Earthcare Australia is a program of Caritas Australia and is the ecological agency established by the Australian Catholic Bishop Conference in 2002. 

It commits to the seven Laudato Si’ Goals which Pope Francis launched in 2021.

“We need a new ecological approach that can transform our way of dwelling in the world, our styles of life, our relationship with the resources of the Earth and, in general, our way of looking at humanity and of living life,” Pope Francis.

Laudato Si’ Goals

Over the next seven years, the Laudato Si’ Action Platform focuses on seven sectors: families, parishes, schools, hospitals, businesses, organisations, and religious orders.

Pope Francis explained that the action plan also has seven goals: 

1. The response to the cry of the earth - for example, responding to and addressing exploitation of resources and pollution, extreme weather patterns and storms, sea level rise, habitat loss and biodiversity decline.
2. The response to the cry of the poor - how can it be that disadvantaged and vulnerable communities still do not have proper housing, meaningful and properly paid work, food security, and racial justice?
3. Ecological economics - it is time we move away from fast fashion and embrace slow fashion, that we move away from products manufactured with child labour and slavery and that we move towards slavery free chocolate.
4. Adoption of simple lifestyles - do we really need all these things in our lives? Could we let go for good of, say 100, or even 1000 things / items in your home? How can we better reduce, reuse, recycle and refuse?
5. Ecological education - how does our curriculum cover social and climate justice.
6. Ecological spirituality - how can we evolve spiritually, listen to our First Nations peoples and reconnect with 'Mother Earth’, to ‘see’ that all of creation is sacred; and, finally
7. Community involvement - let’s engage and work together towards caring for our common home.

“Our selfishness, our indifference and our irresponsible ways are threatening the future of our children,” Pope Francis said.

“I therefore renew my appeal: let us take care of our Mother Earth ... let us overcome the temptation of selfishness that makes us predators of resources, let us cultivate respect for the gifts of the Earth and creation, let us inaugurate a lifestyle and a society that is finally eco-sustainable.”

Action Group

At our last Whole School Assembly we introduced Catholic EarthCare to the school community and asked staff and students whether they would like to be part of an action group.

Together with our Year 8, Year 10 and Year 12 student leaders we have another 25 students and staff who would like to be part of an action group! 

If you are interested to contribute, you are welcome to complete this short questionnaire.

Stay tuned for updates.

World Environment Day

This Sunday is World Environment Day

“The 2022 World Environment Day campaign #OnlyOneEarth calls for collective, transformative action on a global scale to celebrate, protect and restore our planet.” (UN Environment Program).

How can we celebrate, protect and restore our planet?

Action @SJE

To re-energise and reboot our efforts after our two disrupted COVID years, interested staff and students held a brief meeting at lunch this week.

Let’s take some inspiration from this Practical Guide.

#OnlyOneEarth

#Act4OurCommonHome

#ActNow

Ruth Phillips

Sustainability