We Should Be Shining Lamps
“We should be shining lamps giving light to all around us.”
These words spoken by Catherine McAuley sum up the Mercy in Action service activities staff participated in this week. It was an opportunity for us to use our gifts and talents to assist the needy in our community. What we received in return, was a wonderful sense of Mercy spirit, generosity, and creativity.
Some staff knitted blanket squares for babies in hospitals, while others used their sewing skills to make art smocks for refugee students at Thornlie Primary School. A popular service activity was making eco-projects where the staff made beeswax wraps, a bee house for native bees and toys for black cockatoos at Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Rehabilitation Centre.
Other staff members showed what teamwork and manpower could achieve by creating more than 300 care packs for the homeless. Those cooking for Homelessness We Care were impressed with their efforts to cook 300 hot meals and make 300 sandwiches, all in 90 minutes. Some staff then battled the wintery weather to deliver these meals to the homeless in the city during the evening.
Anyone who walked through the College while the service activities were underway would have no doubt what Mercy looks, feels, and sounds like. The overwhelming enthusiasm and teamwork from staff enabled us to have a significant impact in the community and is a testament to our dedication to keeping the Mercy legacy alive at the College.
Some of our staff reflect on the afternoon:
I thoroughly enjoyed the staff service day activity. I loved working with colleagues from different departments to come together and create food and beauty packs for those in need. I know many people in the community will cherish those packs. Madison Levy
Sometimes it is so easy to get wrapped up in your own life, and to be able to help others is a great way to disconnect from self and connect with God in a real and meaningful way. Amanda Nenke
It was uplifting to work with my colleagues on preparing the care packages. We could feel the shared joy of being of service to others. We quickly formed a production line sorting and packing crackers, cheese, canned goods, chocolates and toiletries, donated by our generous College community. It meant a lot to work together to try to be of service to someone in need. We hope they feel our care, love and thought for them as they open their packages. Liz de Byl
We were sewing art smocks for Thornlie Primary School students. It was terrific working with colleagues outside of my department. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to help others, and it’s a reminder that there are simple ways to assist those in our community. Emma Wood
Those of us who chose Eco Projects as our service had a chance to do three activities that involved creativity and power tools. Two of my favourite things! We made puzzles for the cockatoos at Kaarakin to keep their beaks and minds busy while rehabilitating before being released back into the wild. We made beeswax wraps to replace the use of soft plastic wraps. Finally, my favourite activity was making a bee house for native bees, which involved creating a labyrinth of little columns that bees can lay their larvae into. This was where the power tools came in! It was brilliant to learn about why these eco-projects were necessary to help the environment. And to top it all off, we will sell our products at Mercy Day to raise funds for Mercy projects. Linda Stade
We hope you enjoy the following video of the day, put together by our IT Department.
The Power of Expectations in Shaping Student Success – Jennifer Oaten
Discover the transformative impact of expectations on student success. Learn how belief shapes outcomes in education and beyond.
Weekly Wrap Up: Term 2, Week 1, 2024
Term 2 has kicked off with a bang! We enjoyed the Year 11 Father-Daughter evening, celebrated Earth Day, and welcomed Dr. Mark Williams.
Inspiring Change: Earth Day 2024
Our Earth Day celebration this week was a powerful reminder of our collective responsibility to protect our planet for future generations.
- Collaboration, Featured, Stewardship
Author: Santa Maria College
Santa Maria College is a vibrant girls school with a growing local presence and reputation. Our Mission is to educate young Mercy women who act with courage and compassion to enrich our world. Santa Maria College is located in Attadale in Western Australia, 16 km from the Perth CBD. We offer a Catholic education for girls in Years 5 – 12 and have 1300 students, including 152 boarders.
