Published on: 19 September 2024














Our students are engaged in conversations about service from a very young age, as a fundamental part of our culture and integral part of life at Christ Church. While Preparatory students are given the opportunity to participate in service activities, such as the World’s Greatest Shave and various fundraisers, students in Years 7 to 12 are offered a wide range of service opportunities to choose from.

Annual service trips form part of the Service in Action (SIA) program, inspiring students to achieve individual and collective excellence for others. SIA tours are WA-based and international, run throughout the year, and are always in demand. They are conducted with St Mary’s Anglican School for Girls, allowing our students to form positive relationships with their female counterparts, and improve their social skills and confidence by making new friends.

In the past three months, students have travelled to numerous regional locations including Looma, Tambellup, Nullagine, Marble Bar, and Beagle Bay. A group of students will also be returning from Nowanup this Friday. While on tour, students were immersed in local schools, engaging with students and teachers, and learned about the region’s community and culture. Some student highlights from these tours include a swim in the Myroodah Crossing at Fitzroy River, learning local Dreaming stories, cooking kangaroo tail stew, meeting a wallaroo joey, hosting a community barbeque, participating in a Noongar language lesson, and getting their hands dirty on a mud crabbing expedition.

A typical day involves classroom activities, games and sport matches with the children, and assisting students and staff with projects around the school such as art murals, rubbish collection, building maintenance, and gardening. Outside of the school day, students are given tours of local amenties, such as fire and police stations and museums, and offered cultural immersion experiences, such as an ‘On Country’ excursion with Nyul Nyul rangers. Downtime consists of journalling and goal setting, playing card games, and competing in diner ‘cook-offs’.

Student feedback on return from SIA tours is always overwhelmingly positive, noting in particular the special bonds they form with the enthusiastic children in these schools who love having extra people in the classroom to assist with their learning and participate in play. On these tours, students learn that supporting a meaningful cause goes beyond tangible contributions and that giving our time can have an immeasurable impact on the lives of others. This is confirmation that service learning plays an important role in self-development and building considerate members of the community.