Religious Education: Faith and Living Page 5 In Term 1, the Year 12 students attended two consecutive guest speaker presentations for their studies in Faith and Living, namely the new SACE course of Stage 2 Spiritualities, Religion and Meaning and Stage 2 Integrated Learning. Each of the respective presenters spoke on the issues of poverty, housing insecurity and homelessness in terms of local, national and international contexts. Markedly, Umes Acharya, the Youth and Community Engagement Officer at St Vincent de Paul highlighted a range of root causes such as a lack of participatory democracy and poor governance, which were ably supported through sharing of data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. As well, Father Joshua Nash, the Assistant Priest at Tea Tree Gully parish and Gleeson College's Chaplain, emphasised the importance of the six guiding principles of Catholic Social Teaching as part of individual agency to confront, to combat and to challenge the increasing gap between the 'haves' and the 'have nots', which has existed since the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century. On Wednesday 28th August, the Year 10 cohort boarded buses and travelled to Sunnybrae Function Centre to participate in their Reflection Day, ‘The 7 Cs of Resilience’, which focused on the key theme of resilience, highlighting the seven core concepts that inform the quality and development of resilience, namely confidence, competence, contribution, coping, control, character and connection. These key ideas provided touchstones for discussion and activities, based on positive relationships, personal identity, individual spirituality and significant images / symbols that link with the students’ involvement in The Resilience Project this year. On Monday, 28th October, the Year 9 students embarked on a meaningful Reflection Day, visiting the Marine Discovery Centre, Our Lady of The Sacred Heart parish hall, and Henley Beach. This day was designed to immerse students in ecological contemplation, deeply rooted in our Catholic Social Teachings of stewardship and responsible use of the environment. The day began at the Marine Discovery Centre, where students explored marine ecosystems and learned about the importance of preserving our oceans. Interactive exhibits and hands-on activities allowed them to witness the delicate balance of marine life and the impact of human actions on these ecosystems. Following this experience, the students gathered at Our Lady of The Sacred Heart parish hall for a series of reflective sessions. Here, they engaged in discussions about the principles of stewardship, reflecting on how they can contribute to the care and protection of our planet. These sessions emphasized the moral and ethical responsibilities we hold as stewards of the Earth. The day concluded with a visit to Henley Beach, where students participated in a nature walk, which reinforced the day’s teachings, as students actively reflected on the well- being of their local environment. The serene beach setting also provided a perfect backdrop for immersion in the day’s purpose.