Students from the 5 Mercy schools across Sydney came together at the end of last term for the Mercy 5 Eco-Justice Retreat
At the end of last term 18 students from Years 10 and 11 travelled to Collaroy to participate in the Mercy 5 Eco-Justice Retreat.
This is a Mercy 5 initiative to boost awareness and school involvement surrounding the Christian approach of caring for our environment. It brings together the 5 Mercy schools in Sydney (Catherine McAuley Westmead, Our Lady of Mercy College Parramatta, Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College Burraneer, Mercy Catholic College Chatswood and Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College North Sydney) to educate on these issues.
Over the two days many activities took place focused around this year’s theme of ‘water conservation’. These activities included the bringing together of water from each school, prayer, project building in which the students refurbished the return and earn program, and a beach clean up.
The retreat informed and prompted students to consider the collective impact the school community and individuals have on the environment and, more specifically, water conservation. It also provided them with the opportunity to engage in teamwork and collaborative working techniques.
We found this retreat informative and enlightening. We have gained an immense understanding concerning the impact of water wastage, as well as techniques to be more sustainable and environmentally cautious.