St Patrick’s has a very active and robust social justice program with a dual focus on awareness and action. Social justice initiatives provide students with the opportunity to contribute to their local community through a wide range of events and activities. Visitation to the Mount Carmel Nursing Home, participation in Activ8 Youth Group and the Parish sacramental programs and attendance at community commemorative services and celebrations such as Anzac Day, ensures students develop a sense of belonging to and responsibility for their community as citizens.

Students are encouraged to consider the needs of those outside our school community on a global scale. Catholic social justice agencies such as Caritas, St Vincent de Paul and Catholic Mission are well supported and promoted and are the main focus of charitable fundraising within our school community each year.

Students work in collaboration with teachers to develop the school community's awareness and empathy for those in need through prayer and reflection. They promote, organise and run these fundraising events. Fundraising focus areas throughout the year are:

Term 1

Caritas Global support - in the form of pancake sales on Shrove Tuesday and Project Compassion Money boxes.

Term 2

Vinnies Winter Appeal - supporting locals in need. Students wear their winter woollies and donate a gold coin. All monies collected are given to the local St Vincent de Paul organisation.

Term 3

Catholic Mission - global support in the form of a Mission Day organised by Year 6 students involving a range of activities including face painting, tattoos anf nail art, knock-em-downs, kick for goal, guessing competitions, photo booth and cake stalls.

Term 4

Vinnies Christmas Appeal - students and families are asked to support the local appeal through donating non-perishable goods, money or presents, which are then distributed to needy locals during the festive season.

The school encourages students to propose other areas for social justice work at a local level. From year to year, this is in response to the needs of the local community. Examples include support for drought-stricken farmers and fundraising initiatives which support our community (e.g. Onesies for Type 1 Diabetes, Shave for a Cure, Beanies for Brain Cancer).