Service at MSM

Our Mission, Vision and Values impel us to act for The Common Good

In our expression of our charism, we reach out to the wider community in many ways. 

Staff and students alike, give expression to the 'lived mission' of the Sisters of Charity and are committed to social justice, following in the tradition of the Sisters of Charity. This takes place under the umbrella of the Community Action Network (CAN), encompassing five social justice groups, which students and staff are welcomed and encouraged to join. 

A high level of staff commitment reflects on the student body, inspiring large numbers of students to become involved and enabling the programmes to run effectively.

Service/Justice groups of the Community Action Network (CAN)
  • Missions of St Vincent
  • Social Justice Council
  • Interact
  • Environment Group
  • Sisters Empowering Sisters
Community Outreach Programs

Our commitment to meeting the needs of those less fortunate in our midst includes working with the Rosie’s Homeless Program, as well as weekly visits to St Joseph’s Nursing Home and Mitchelton Special School amongst many other initiatives. All service at Mt St Michael's College is carried out in a spirit of altruistic giving. 

To learn more about our Community Action Network (CAN) Service/Justice groups and Community Outreach programs, please click on the links below.

Environment Group

The Environment Group, along with the other Social Justice Groups at the College, endeavours to educate the population about sustainability, and through formation work with staff and students, to enact change in the community and beyond. 

The Environment Group are actively fighting climate change by driving initiatives which reduce the environmental impact of our school and our wider community. Our current projects include:

  1. Removing recyclable drink containers from landfill waste via the Containers for Change project.
  2. Reducing the amount of single-use plastic used throughout the school.
  3. Increasing the availability of package-free produce by installing an on-campus vegetable garden which can supply fresh produce to both the Home Economics department and Kaf.
  4. Removing food waste from landfill by introducing a school-wide composting program.
  5. Upskilling members of our group so that they can make further advances in their personal waste reduction goals.
Missions Group

The Missions of St Vincent (MOSV) group is one of the four groups under the Community Action Network (CAN) at Mt St Michael's College. The members of this group are able to channel their generosity and share their talents within the local community. 

The MOSV has a main focus on the outer community through visiting local groups including St Joseph’s Nursing Homes and Ronald McDonald House. On these visits, MSM students entertain the sick young children and their siblings, as well as talking and interacting with the elderly. The purpose of this is to interact with others and bring a smile to their faces on a regular basis. This allows the students to not only make friends with the outer community but also girls from different grades. 

The MOSV help to support all fundraisers at the College through a variety of initiatives.

Interact
Happiness is helping others

Interact’s 2018 fundraising initiative, in conjunction  with the Ashgrove/The Gap Rotary Club, was to raise money for Solar Buddies. They were hugely successful, raising funds for 125 Solar Buddies. This year, the next step in the project was for Interact students to put the Solar Buddies together on Mary Aikenhead Day, with Rotary organising for them to be taken to schools in the Solomon Islands. The work in supporting this initiative for Solar Buddies will continue throughout 2021.

Sisters Empowering Sisters

The Sisters Empowering Sisters group was established in 2018 by two students at Mt St Michael’s College, Elora Brady and Sienna Byrne. 

It is a gender equality and empowerment club that meets every Monday lunchtime.

The purpose of the group is to raise awareness and support equity in and outside of the MSM community by hosting regular meetings where students learn about gender equity issues in the local area and on a global scale. 

Open debate and discussion are encouraged, building a sense of unity between the girls. 

A variety of gender equity and empowerment projects are also supported by the group. 

It is hoped that students will become better equipped to contribute to the creation of an empowering equal world for all.

Social Justice Council

The Social Justice Council (SJC) group at Mt St Michael’s College is concerned with the promotion of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.  Its aim is to raise awareness and take action focusing on building a community in which every person enjoys justice, freedom, opportunity and respect.

SJC is a vibrant group of committed students and teachers who raise awareness of human rights issues in the Mt St Michael's College community and the wider community.  An area of particular focus is the rights of Indigenous Australians and links between Mt St Michael's College and the Weemala Indigenous Education Unit at the Australian Catholic University. It is hoped that the SJC inspires others to be passionate about justice and empowers them to act.

Issues Focus

Each year, group members decide on which social justice issues to focus on. In order to concentrate the group’s efforts, it was recommended the focus be on two areas – a local (Australian) issue and a global issue; however, other issues may be addressed as they arise or at the wish of group members.

Community Outreach - After School Programs
  • Rosie's Street Retreat
  • Mitchelton Special School Visits
  • St Joseph's Nursing Home Visits