SOCIAL ACTION & JUSTICE
What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God
(Micah 6:8)
(Micah 6:8)
At Jubilee, we teach that each person is made in the image and likeness of God and that all have human dignity and worth. We aspire to follow the themes of Catholic Social Teaching and pass this on to the students in our care. We therefore try to translate this understanding of justice by teaching our community about love, compassion and peace. We follow the principles of the three dimensions of basic justice.
Commutative justice is followed with our "Bee-Attitudes" and "Peer Mediator" programs where we try to instill in the students how important it is to be fair in our dealings with one another. Our "Outreach" and "Helping Hands" programs aim to teach the students about the principles of distributive justice. Our classroom teaching follows up with the principles of social justice and the right of every human being to be active and productive members of society. We try to instill in our students the importance of not only to stand in the shoes of another but to also walk with them on their journey. It is so important that we are all reminded that we are each made in the image and likeness of God.
Jubilee builds an authentic Christian community by celebrating the cultural diversity of our school in many ways. These include the celebration of Naidoc Week, National Sorry Day, our Year 4's annual visit to "Ngutanalui" at Inala and other events of significance. Our Prayer Assembly always begins with an acknowledgement of country and the procession of the Indigenous flag. There is signage around our school that names blocks of buildings with an Indigenous name and then gives the English translation. We also adhere to the Cross Curricula Priorities as set out in our Religion Education Curriculum.
Our "Five Cent Friday" is also very well received. Students are encouraged to bring in their five cent pieces. Half of the money collected goes to special projects (last year we donated $500 to a school in Fiji) and the other half buys equipment for the school playground.
We strongly encourage, welcome and support families participating in the school life of Jubilee. Parents are rostered to come and help in various classrooms or on one off special events. At Jubilee we recognize the value of parent support with the implementation of the reading program, especially in the early years. Every class has a PSP (Parent Support Person) attached to their classroom. We see the role of PSP as a very important link between the classroom and the parent body. (see role of PSP attached)
Our APRE and teacher seconded to Campus Ministry work closely with the PSP's to ensure that suitable activities are organized and appropriate direction is given when required. Every classroom has a sign on their door advising who the PSP is for that classroom. This is great because new families can immediately put a name to a face.
Helping Hands Project.
Last year we began our Helping Hands project based on the ‘pay it forward’ principle. Here at Jubilee we have a well-established history of showing kindness to members of our own community and beyond. We would very much like to extend that by setting up a ‘casserole bank’ so that we can provide meals for those who are in hardship- this may be for a short time or an extended period of time. (October newsletter 2014)
The Parents and Friends Association purchased a fridge for our meals. We have parents cooking, either by coming into school and cooking at our once per term ‘Cook Ups’ or by cooking at home and bringing meals to school to donate to our freezer. Our cooking roster serves those who may need assistance, either in the short or long term. We also have a transport roster organized for a family whose mum was struck down with a rare condition that has left her in a wheel chair, families donating to munch monitor accounts and, most importantly, families praying for those who need our assistance. This project is very well received by the community and typifies the ‘giving’ attitude of our Jubilee community.