Recently a grandparent emailed me regarding climate change, certainly a newsworthy topic at the moment.

It is not always evident what we are doing throughout the school to be good stewards of our amazing planet. As catholics, caring for planet earth is a key responsibility for us. There are many Champions, with a capital ‘C’ but we need the small ‘c’ champions, who are in our families, our schools, our neighbourhood to make a significant difference in our world.

Pope Francis is one of the Champions, he wrote an encyclical Laudato Si which guides us to make sometimes small changes which can have a significant impact.

I am sure you have seen the installation of the solar panels. I doubt I will see the change in the school electricity bills, but I know our community will reap the benefits in the not too distant future. Holy Spirit Catholic School has a great history of using solar power. 

When i4architecture designed our new Admin Block, thought was given to energy saving features. I am sure the words of my father (turn off those lights) will resonate with many - movement detectors ensure lighting is not used unnecessarily and LED lighting is another key feature. 

This year, Year 4 students won an eco challenge through the Reef Guardian Program. The signs around our drains are daily reminders to care for our magnificent reef on our front doorstep! 

There are many champions amongst the ranks of our students. The students in 5D are champions at recycling and modelling this important action for our younger students. At lunchtimes, they recognise those students in the early years who put items in the containers for recycling. 

Small actions such as our ‘Trash n Treasure’ Stalls at the Fete and Mini Fete help to avoid landfill and provide a new home for pre-loved objects (expect some of these items to arrive at your home Friday afternoon!)

It is in our everyday actions that we can all be champions for the environment. The way we model driving a car (economise on fuel), minimise the use of air conditioning, save water and recycle is a powerful and effective way to create champions caring for our planet.

Don’t forget to place those used batteries in our recycling bin located near the library, you might even like to borrow a pre-loved book, yes we offer them to parents and grandparents! So many opportunities for our students to see ‘care for creation’ in action.

God bless!

Geraldine