Deputy Principal Mission and Pastoral Care

Salamanca Service is in the air at Santa Sabina in August

August has been a month where we have seen numerous initiatives and events that sit under the umbrella of our Salamanca Model of Service and Outreach. The Salamanca Model integrates service learning into our curriculum and pastoral care structures and encourages both collaborative and individual actions. Its aim is to cultivate a generation of students who are not only aware of social injustices but are also equipped to take meaningful action against them. This model ensures that our students develop a holistic understanding of social justice, grounded in historical context and enriched by personal experience and reflection.

In other parts of this edition of Veritas Voice you will find articles about the recent Santa Sleepout to support St Vincent de Paul and raise awareness around the issue of homelessness in our city. This endeavour was supported by our students from Year 5-12 who donated items to be used to create snack packs for Night Patrol. The Girl Up club has used some of its funds raised to purchase the material to make birthing kits and club members volunteered their time to put these birthing kits together after school recently. Our Student Leaders and CAS IB students also organised a book swap during Book Week to raise funds for Babaayn Aboriginal Corporation in order for them to purchase resources for their Homework Program. 

Term 3 also sees the ‘action’ element of our Salamanca House Projects undertaken by all students in Year 7-12. Several students explain below the nature of their House Salamanca Project.

Gunagulla

Gunagulla’s Salamanca Project in 2025 is dedicated to supporting the Sydney Children’s Hospital network. We chose this cause because we believe that every child deserves care, comfort and support, especially during difficult times.

To raise both funds and awareness in a thoughtful and effective manner, our Salamanca team has designed the initiative of packaging and selling lolly bags. Inside each bag, we included small information cards to help students learn more about the importance of our chosen cause and the challenges faced by young patients, which we then sold both during Homeroom and at lunch for a gold coin donation. All of the funds raised will go directly to the Sydney Children’s Hospital network.

Additionally, during community time, students had the opportunity to make origami hearts and write kind messages to children in hospital, aiming to bring joy and hope to young patients with long stays ahead. This activity not only encouraged reflection but also fostered a sense of unity within our House. Our Salamanca Committee also facilitated a fun and educational trivia session as a creative way to spread awareness and get students thinking more deeply about the importance of children’s health and hospital care.

Teangi

This year, Teangi has embraced the Salamanca House Project by supporting the Akka Project, led by one of our own Teangi students, Xylah in Year 9. The initiative focused on collecting book donations for schools in India that have limited access to resources many of us take for granted, such as storybooks and learning materials. Each Homeroom received a donation box, making it easy for students to contribute books suitable for both primary and secondary school students. These donations aim not only to equip students with valuable tools for their studies but also to help establish libraries that will continue to benefit schools for years to come. By engaging in this project, Teangi sought to promote literacy, spark a love of reading and extend opportunities for children overseas to access knowledge beyond the classroom whilst encouraging our community to value generosity and education. 

Weelya

As part of this year’s Salamanca House Project, Weelya is focusing on supporting elderly members of our community facing loneliness and vulnerability. We recently held our first initiative – a student-led bake sale to raise money for the Inner West Meals on Wheels, a not-for-profit organisation that provides nutritious meals to elderly people who are unable to prepare food for themselves. Students designed posters to promote the event, while volunteers across all year groups baked goods, set up stalls and sold items at lunch. The event was a huge success, raising over $800 to support the work of Meals on Wheels. We are looking forward to continuing this spirit of service through our next initiative, which will see senior students volunteer at Goondee Aged Care Home, offering conversation and companionship to residents. As a House, Weelya hopes to make a positive difference in the lives of the elderly while also fostering our own community spirit and connection.

Our Salamanca Model of Service Learning and Social Justice continues to drive the collective and individual actions of service, awareness and advocacy that occur at the College and we thank all families who have, through their daughters, helped to support so many initiatives and events. 

Melanie van der Meer
Deputy Principal Mission and Pastoral Care