Wonder- St. Joseph's College

The St. Joseph’s College, Echuca learning community has certainly found the 2021 year to be full of wonder.

Starting in November 2020, our Catholic Identity Leader Kirrilee Westblade led the Year 12 student House leaders and some staff through the development of this year’s theme, "Wonder – Celebrate all that is good with joy and gratitude"

Having provided rich stimulus material with a solid scriptural foundation, Kirrilee skilfully led the discernment process that resulted in the College theme being developed as “Embrace Curiosity. Explore the Unknown. Be Surprise.”

Celebrating our environment with Joy and Gratitude has been a high priority in our work with students and staff this year. Among the highlights have been things such as

• Using David Attenborough’s Planet Earth series to raise student awareness and appreciation
• Our College winning a Rerum Novarum scholarship from CECV to promote sustainable practices across the school. This included introducing soft plastics bins and collecting plastic lids and bread bag ties.
• Staff Professional Learning focused the Living Justice – Living Peace Charter, the Social Justice Statement “The Cry of the Earth the Cry of the Poor” and our Staff Sabbatical Week workshops also focused on Wonder.

As part of this year’s Season of Creation, an ecumenical celebration for Christian churches around the world, St Joseph’s chose to focus on ensuring that there was ‘a home for all’.  Despite several rounds of remote learning and lockdowns across the state, a spirit of kindness and social justice is still present within the St Joseph’s College, Echuca community.  During the month of September, students, families, and staff raised an outstanding $2,490 to support ShelterBox. ShelterBoxes are designed to help people who have lost everything. They are filled with emergency shelter and other essential items to help support people as they rebuild their lives.

Throughout the year prayers, liturgies, assemblies and Masses have all reflected the core value Wonder as well. It’s fair to say 2021 has provided plenty of opportunity for curiosity, exploring and surprise and an examination of injustice that affect all humanity .