By Brendan Rees
A group of teenagers from St Peter’s College Cranbourne campus are scrapping any end of year schoolies celebrations to volunteer overseas.
Year 12 students Ryan, Stevan, Shantelle and Kayla, along with teachers, Ian Elwood, Cathy Michael and Stephanie Lomas are preparing for a trip to help a school community in the Solomon Islands.
As part of their commitment to the school’s annual Immersion Program, St Peter’s has raised much needed funds for the Bishop Epalle Catholic School in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
Their aim over the next few years is to outfit the St. Peter’s Building that the previous program students have been fundraising to build the Library, IT Centre and Staff Rooms, opened late in 2017.
Principal of St. Peter’s College Chris Black said the school was extremely proud of these students.
“It would be easy to go with the crowd, to celebrate the end of their secondary education with schoolies week’s trips, but they have chosen a better option in our view,” he said.
The students departed Melbourne the day after their final Year 12 Exams and have paid for their own trip expenses.
Students undertake what work they can to assist with in the school, helping out in primary classes and undertaking maintenance work in and around the school buildings, while in Honiara.
The teachers will undertake various sessions with the teachers of Bishop Epalle Catholic School around best teaching practices particularly in the area of literacy and mathematics.
“Our students and staff can put into practice all they have learnt and been exposed to in their time at St. Peter’s College about the importance of social justice, and how individuals can make a real impact when they come together with a common cause,” Mr Black said.
The group will stay with a local family and spend their days at the school helping with numerous tasks and immersing themselves in the school and local community.
Ms Black said their time abroad will further “cement the many lessons they have learnt in their time at St. Peter’s College in regards to their responsibility in relation to not only their education, faith and service but how they individually or as a small group can have a very real and positive impact in the greater community”.
