Project Compassion

Toefuata'iga - (Toy-foo-ah-tah-ing-ah) is a 13-year-old primary school student from Samoa. Samoa may be a country surrounded by water, but access to clean drinking water is scarce in some areas, with many families facing extreme hardship as a result.

Toefuata’iga’s school community struggled without reliable access to clean water, which impacted students’ education and hygiene. Teachers often had to leave the school to fetch water from nearby homes, disrupting lessons and adding strain to the community. When the water ran out at the school, students were sent home which meant they missed out on valuable learning time.

Thanks to the support of Caritas Australia in partnership with Caritas Samoa, Toefuata’iga’s school now has a 10,000 L water tank through a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program. Teachers and students are now able to focus on education and improved hygiene.

“Now that we have the water tank, things are so much better, we can stay at school all day, and I get to spend more time learning and playing with my friends. I’m happy that we don’t have to go home early anymore.” – said Toefuata'iga.

This transformative story is just one example of how Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion creates waves of change around the world.

Watch Toefuata'iga’s story here.

Will you stand with students like Toefuata'iga this Lent?

A reminder that boxes will be collected at the end of term. Alternatively, you can donate at our school website:

https://fundraise.projectcompassion.org.au/o/st-michaels-primary-school-kaleen

Youth Group

This year all 3-6 students have been invited to attend a Youth Group which is held once a week during lunch time. We gather in friendship and fun, using  Scripture to learn more about our faith. During Lent we are reflecting on how we can use our words and actions to be more like Jesus. The students made posters to encourage others to remember that Lent is a time for almsgiving, fasting and prayer. Congratulations to our Youth Group members for helping to foster and promote our Christian values.

Reconciliation

This Thursday all Year 4 students and Reconciliation candidates, will participate in the Reconciliation Retreat. The day has been planned to support the Religious Education Curriculum which has a focus on penance and forgiveness, as well as supporting our Reconciliation candidates preparing for the Sacrament.

On Thursday students are asked to wear comfortable and appropriate clothing of their choice. Recess will be provided but students will still need to bring their packed lunch, water bottle and a hat.

Any Reconciliation candidates will also need to attend the Parent/Child Formation session which will be held in the evening at 6pm St Michael's Church.