8 July 2021
By Kerrie Wetzlar, Religious Education Coordinator, St Kieran’s Catholic School, Manly Vale
Year 5 and 6 students from St Kieran’s, Manly Vale and their teachers spend a chilly evening at school at their Winter Sleep Out on Friday 4 June. The evening was the culmination of planning, information, prayer and organisation by the Year 6 Mission Leadership Team.
Stage 3 students learnt about the many homeless people who sleep on the floors of their friend's home, sleep rough on the streets or in cars and bus shelters, and wanted to share this information with their peers. The children organised for Mr John McCarney, our local St Vincent de Paul representative, to come to the school and speak to Stage 3 students. They shared information from the Vinnies website and then thought about the problem through the eyes of the Gospel message ‘love your neighbour.’
Finally the Mission Team organised a “Winter Sleep Out” for the Year 5 and 6 children. Students were expected to raise funds for their “Winter Sleep Out” by doing odd jobs around their home and neighbourhood. Wearing day clothes and bringing only a sleeping bag, the children shared a cup of soup for dinner. Many children went without lunch and afternoon tea to experience the hunger many of the homeless feel.
Following the sleep out, a money transfer of $1400 was sent to SVDP. Blankets and warm clothing were also delivered to the local SVDP depot.
The Winter Sleep Out was an opportunity for the students to experience an empty tummy and a cold hard bed for a few hours. Learning through actions and service to others is a powerful experience in developing social justice and empathy within children. During this Service Learning Model, the children gained knowledge about homelessness in their area and Sydney. They reflected on the messages of the Gospel regarding looking after our fellow man. Finally, they acted, earning their donation through odd jobs. The children from St Kieran’s, Manly Vale experienced, for a short amount of time, what it means to be homeless.