This year's Year 10 Service Week, held from Monday to Wednesday, saw the entire Year 10 cohort swap textbooks for tools and spend three structured days contributing their time and energy to a variety of meaningful service projects across the local area, guided by the College's Service Learning ethos.
The Thomas Hassall Service Learning program is an integral part of the College's curriculum, framed by the Christian principle found in Matthew 20:28: "…The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."
The program's structure is designed for holistic development:
- Training Day: Students receive preparation and foundational knowledge.
- School Service Day: Students serve on campus, supporting the Junior School, Senior School, and Administration.
- Community Service Day: Students apply their learning with external partners, fostering a deep awareness of local and national inequalities.
This cycle of action and reflection is designed to build character, develop confidence, leadership and open-mindedness. Crucially, it allowed students to reflect on those who are more unfortunate, cultivating a servant heart to address the needs of others, think deeply about their circumstances and embody the qualities of compassion and service. In doing so, they demonstrate the "more excellent way" of love and service (1 Corinthians 12:31 – 13:2).
Teams of students fanned out across the College and wider community, engaging in vital support roles. For example.
• Women's Community Shelter - Glenfield House: A group of nine girls were an "absolute delight" to staff as they helped transform a new shelter being converted from an aged care facility. A highlight was seeing how excited the staff and women were after the common area was transformed using the Christmas Tree and decorations donated by the College. The girls were a credit to the school, and the staff were delighted by their tireless efforts.
• Scalabrini Aged Care: Students focused on intergenerational connection, spending time one-on-one with residents. They were paired up with a resident to attend scheduled daily activities, offering companionship and support. Our students demonstrated maturity and genuine care for the residents and community.
• Junior School: Students were active in classrooms, helping with literacy and numeracy activities, stocktaking reading resources and preparing classrooms (e.g., gluing covers on Kindy scrapbooks, organising readers, stocktake).
• Sport: Students were vital referees for the CASA Futsal Gala Day and provided support for MISA teams. They actively facilitated the events, helping to set up courts, refereeing games, managing the flow of students throughout the day and finally, packing up all the equipment. This hands-on role demonstrated excellent leadership and responsibility.
• MRK: In the Canteen, they managed lines, gave out orders during recess and lunch and helped pack shelves, experiencing the fast-paced nature of school operations. Our students even helped some of our younger College students to navigate the canteen for the first time.
While the week was filled with rewarding action, it was also a profound experience of confrontation and challenge for many students. Working in placements like the Women's Community Shelter and Lifeline exposed them to the significant need and disparity experienced by members of our community. This exposure was essential to the Service Learning program's core goal. Yet, this challenging awareness only fuelled their desire to serve. Students embraced the opportunity with genuine enthusiasm, realising the immediate impact of their efforts. In numerous placements, from aged care facilities to community charities and internal service opportunities the students' commitment shone through, with many were asked to stay longer, return the following day to help or continue with a more permanent partnership in 2026.
The College extends its deepest gratitude to all those who made Year 10 Service Week possible. A special thank you is due to the College staff, in particular the Year 10 Year Advisors Mrs Palmer and Mr Fracarossi, who organised the internal placements and provided dedicated training and supervision. Crucially, we thank our valued community partners, including Glenfield House Women's Shelter, Lifeline, Scalabrini Aged Care, Liverpool City Council, Red Nose, Middleton Rural Fire Service, and SES Liverpool for their willingness to host our students, provide meaningful work and/or share their mission. Your supervision, organisation and commitment ensure this program remains a transformative experience for our Year 10 students.
