St Joseph's, Tenaru

St Marcellin's Primary School, Vanga

St Dominic's Rural Training Centre, Vanga point

Student Reflections

 'The whole immersion was very special- an experience that will remain with me forever. It was the enjoyment of the little things and the happiness with what little they had the biggest impact on me'

'Seeing these boys with little or no possessions but still being happy made me realise that money isn't as important as I previously thought'

'On arrival at Vanga I was quite shocked and was feeling homesick. The first weekend consisted of mainly small talk and awkward conversations. If someone had told me that by the end of the trip I would be upset and not wanting to leave I would have tole them they were dreaming. But the friendships did blossom -we taught and learnt from each other and became great mates/'

On Saturday 24 April I led, on behalf of Mt Maria College, six students and two other staff members (Desley Murphy & Kath Bryant - both Enoggera Campus) to Uluru, Alice Springs and Santa Teresa.

 Four of these students are currently in Year 12 and the remaining two are from Year 10. It is impressive that amidst the pressures of Year 12 our students can give their time willingly to sidestep school for a week and give their time to such an emotionally and physically challenging experience.

While Uluru gave our group a cultural introduction to the community we were about to immerse ourselves in, the greatest impact and purpose was drawn from our week duration at Santa Teresa.

The solidarity partnership that has been developing between St Joseph's College Hunters Hill and St Joseph's College Mabiri, Bougainville entered a new phase during the 2010 Easter holidays.

Once again the Joeys visitors were overwhelmed by the traditional welcome they received from the Mabiri boys and their teachers - in fact everywhere you travel on Bougainville you are met by smiles and waves which stand in stark contrast to the angst that is often the norm on Sydney roads.

Since 2008 the Hunters Hill community has been working to provide educational resources for Mabiri as part of the overall support of MAPS in its contribution to the re-building of Bougainville. The College has also been privileged to host visitors from Mabiri who have assisted our understanding of the complex political and social events of the last thirty years and their ramifications for the young people of this beautiful yet struggling nation.

Who?

Trinity Catholic College, Lismore

Seven students --‐ 4 girls & 3 boys

Two staff --‐ one male and one female.

 Where?

St Joseph's Catholic Secondary School Tenaru, Solomon Islands

 When?

29th March --‐ 9th April (12 Days)

 What?

The students from Trinity Lismore spent one week participating in the life of the students at St Joseph's Tenaru. This included attending classes, assisting with manual work, sport, living in the dormitory, and participating in the preparation of the various Easter liturgies.

After Easter, the students were split into two groups --‐ boys and girls --‐ for a two night Village visit. The girls visited Visale village and the Rural Training Centre for young women, while the boys visited Buma Catholic Station and surrounding villages in the Langalanga lagoon, Malaita.

Seven students and three teachers from Marist College Ashgrove, in Brisbane's inner west, recently spent a week immersed in the outback Indigenous community of Santa Teresa.

An hour and a half outside Alice Springs, Santa Teresa is home to about 600 people, from the Ltyentye Apurte community. Eastern Arrnernte is their main language, and English is spoken as a second language.

The visitors spent time tutoring at the local school, joining in school sports and visiting the arts centre and medical centre.

Brother Mark Fordyce, who travelled with the group, said a highlight was going bush for a night. "We had no tents, just swags," he said. "Thankfully it wasn't too cold."

The Santa Teresa visit is the first time an Australian ‘immersion experience' has been offered to Marist Ashgrove students.

"When we look at the area of solidarity we sometimes look overseas," Brother Mark said. "But we also wanted to look at Australia, so we went to Santa Teresa to be with and to experience life with Indigenous Australians," he said.

A focus of the trip was spending time at the school, which educates students from 5 years to 21 years. The Marist Brothers who work at the school are hoping to establish a Year 9 and 10 curriculum that can help students pursue apprenticeships in Alice Springs.

While the school was very different to Marist Ashgrove, the students discovered some key similarities.

"At this school, like ours, when it's time to have fun, we have fun, and when it's time to learn, it's very important we do that properly," Brother Mark said.

Surrounded by sweeping red dirt landscapes, there was no mistaking the students were a long way from home. "The flipside of the remoteness is the beauty of the isolation," Brother Mark said. "For young people who are hooked up and wired to technology everyday, it was quite special to go sit up on the rocks and watch the end of the day."

Marist College Ashgrove is keen to maintain its connection with the Santa Teresa community and is hoping to bring some students to Ashgrove.

Marist College Pagewood had a group of students visit St Joseph's College, Mabiri in Bougaianville in October.  Read report here.

Joeys Marist Solidarity - Easter in Bougainville

 The service learning partnership between St Joseph's College Hunters Hill and St Joseph's Mabiri was launched in late 2008. Consequently, it was with great anticipation that the first Joeys student group to visit Bougainville departed Sydney in the early hours of Friday April 3 for an 11 day visit.

Ask most teachers and they'll likely tell you that the thought of accompanying nine Year 12 boys on a 13 day excursion to a developing nation is a daunting prospect. Thankfully, Marist College North Shore's recent Cambodian Immersion turned out to be anything but daunting. I now count myself as one of the lucky ones, one of the lucky teachers who have had the honour and privilege of becoming a part of the immersion experience. I can honestly say that as a result of this opportunity I am immensely proud, proud to be a part of the Marist community and proud of the nine young men and two other staff members who I was able to share the journey with.

St Francis Xavier's College, Hamilton

 Cambodia Immersion 18^th - 31^st July 2009

To us, immersion means more than just experiencing another country. It means bridging the gap between cultures and differences and becoming a part of the community. Not just visiting and then leaving, but making our mark to be remembered forever.

An unforgettable Solomon Islands Immersion

We set off on Tuesday 6th October to the Solomon Islands. The Year 11 students involved this year included Claire Lucey, Madeleine Gates, Jessica Jeffcoate, Andrew Norrie, Luke Geary and Jordan Murphy. We flew from Sydney to Brisbane and then to Honiara. We spent the night at St Josephs Secondary College, Tenaru. The transportation was enjoyable for the students as we all piled into the back of a ute and had an interesting ride. When we first arrived, the boys quickly joined the students in a game of soccer and the Brothers warmly welcomed us.

The four students that embarked on the Solomon Islands immersion trip from St Gregory's College were a little unsure as to what they would find on arrival at Vanga Point. But their uncertainties soon turned into an enjoyable experience that will never be forgotten.

Varroville celbrates Champagnat Day

Recently at Mount Carmel High School, Varroville, we celebrated the life and legacy of St Marcellin Champagnat. We call our celebration Champagnat Day. Champagnat Day 2009 was focused on the work of the Marist Brothers and in particular the work of MAPS. The celebrations throughout the day included an education session in the morning, where students learnt about the work of MAPS, followed by Mass, which incorporated cultural practices of Tonga and Samoa, this was followed by stalls, where each pastoral group sold food or drink items or offered an activity and the day concluded with a concert, exhibiting the many talents of our students.

Marist Canberra visits Vanga for Easter 09

.....I finally understand what the word immersion means. Two experiences come to mind. The first one started only a few short minutes after I arrived at Vanga Point. ....I found myself in my dorm surrounded by the boys who I would be spending the next 11 days with, with no introduction, and being the only one in the room of a peculiar coloured skin. It was uneasy, but only for a few short moments. One of the boys, Thomas, started talking to me as if I had known him my whole life. He then introduced me to all the boys in the dorm before showing me around.

St Joseph's Hunters Hill Marist Solidarity - Easter in Bougainville

The service learning partnership between St Joseph's College Hunters Hill and St Joseph's Mabiri was launched in late 2008. Consequently, it was with great anticipation that the first Joeys student group to visit Bougainville departed Sydney in the early hours of Friday April 3 for an 11 day visit.

The principal of Mabiri, Mr Benedict Tooming, complimented the Joeys students for the enthusiasm and initiative they exhibited throughout the duration of the visit. From the moment of arrival the boys dedicated themselves to sharing every aspect of the lives of their Mabiri peers. This involved 4am starts to cook breakfast, hours spent in the bush camps that the local boys create as a home away from home, eel hunting, crocodile spotting, learning traditional crafts and providing tutoring assistance during evening study. Mr Tooming also thanked SJC Headmaster Mr Ross Tarlinton for making the dream of the connection between the two schools a reality.

The season of Lent brings with it the opportunity to give generously to others in great need through MAPs. Each Year Level has sponsored a specific Marist project in the Asia/Pacific region.

Year 8 will be supporting the Marist students at Yangoru in PNG. They need finance to improve some of their most basic school facilities such as the toilet blocks.

MATES overseas provides students with the opportunity to immerse themselves into other cultures for an extended period of time. Students live within the 'new' society and culture working alongside the local peoples in all aspects of their normal day. Students are invited to look, to listen and to learn. This immersion allows participants and the College to come to an experiential understanding of the global village in which we live - and our place and responsibility to take an active role within it.

This week, I am proud to relaunch our social action committee Links, a group of students "committed to effecting a positive change in our world."