On March 18 2022, pupils, teachers and families at Mother of God School in Ardeer came together to show solidarity and support to the Ukrainian community in Ardeer and worldwide.
In a world currently troubled by war and conflict, the whole school community took a moment to gather together as one Catholic school community to show their support for Ukraine.
Pupils and staff took part in a fundraiser event, wearing blue and yellow casual clothes and donating money to Caritas Australia, who provides support to displaced families in Ukraine with food, water, shelter and hygiene needs.
The pupils also took part in a ribbon tying event which was conducted at the local Ukrainian Hall.
The pupils created messages of peace, hope and support on yellow and blue ribbons and tied it to the fence of the Ukrainian Hall as a gesture to the local Ukrainian Community that they are standing in solidarity with them.
Finally, the school community participated in a special prayer service, led by Fr. Andriy of the Ukrainian Church in Ardeer, to pray for Ukraine and for a peaceful world for all.
The prayer service was attended by the pupils, teachers, parents and various members of the Ardeer Ukrainian community.
Learning support officer at Mother of God School and co-organizer of the event Malia Silao said the day’s events will have a lasting impact on the student.
“The students’ lives are forever impacted by today’s event,” Ms Silao
“The children at Mother of God know and understand that they can help bring forth a more peaceful world through the kind choices that they make towards others in their daily lives.”
“They inspire each other and within their families to share peace, love and kindness”
Year 5/6 teacher, digital technologies leader and co-organizer at Mother of God School Thomas Punzalan said the pupils gained a lot from the event.
“The whole school event last Friday really summed up to me, what an inclusive and supportive community Mother of God school is,” Mr Punzalan said.
“It was powerful for the students, teachers and families to see how simple actions for showing support and awareness to our Ukrainian community can have a very profound impact.
“It was a very successful event for our school community.”
Max Hatzoglou
