St Columbkille's students have joined millions of people around the world to celebrate World Environment Day. Our school embraced this year's theme of ‘Beat Air Pollution’ to draw attention to this pressing environmental concern and how we can all do our part to improve the quality of the air we breathe.

Since it began in 1974, the United Nations day has encouraged worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment, growing to become a global platform for public outreach. Above all, it's the ‘people's day’ to do something to take care of the Earth.

Our students have engaged in a range of activities to educate themselves and others about the different types of air pollution that exist and how they affect our health and environment; and all the many ways we can act to protect the earth.

Our community celebrated World Environment Day by coming together for a whole-school liturgy. Mrs Herring and the Year 6 Enviro Ninja team prepared a thought-provoking liturgy: from the beautiful prayer space, to the facts shared on why we all need to think about air pollution and take steps towards improving the air around us, to the themed songs – all while listening to the gentle pitter-patter of rain falling outside on the school’s dry grounds.

“The prayer space looked amazing. It was so pretty. Macie, Lacey, Layne, Charlotte and Emy did an incredible job on the liturgy, and we all enjoyed helping out,” Year 6 student, Natasha said.

"Our liturgy was an interesting and enjoyable way to start the day and celebrate World Environment Day" — Taje, Year 5 student

Our Enviro Ninja team of students also spent the lead up to World Environment Day encouraging all members of the school community to ‘Beat Air Pollution’ by choosing a more environmentally-friendly way of travelling to and from school.

On the day, many students, parents and staff opted to walk or ride, catch public transport or car pool to school – even braving the wet and windy conditions! A special congratulations to the effort from one of the school’s SSOs, who caught a train from her home in Helensburgh, then walked for 15 minutes up the hill to the school in her gumboots!!

Middle Leader, Mrs Tyrrell, said the Enviro Ninjas were buzzing with excitement and optimism from the amazing swell of support from the school community. “It was great to see and hear many students and their families choosing alternative ways to travel to school as a way to help beat air pollution,” she said.

“We are so proud of our community who, despite the wet and wild weather, donned their wet weather gear, left their cars at home and braved the southerly winds to walk to school, or organised carpools to transport students to school together – all in a bid to do their bit to reduce air pollution,” Paula Russo, St Columbkille's WEN Coordinator

“Thank you to these many dedicated people in our school community who are living out Pope Francis’s call in Laudato Si' to ‘care for our common home’,” Ms Russo said.

St Columbkille's was one of several CEDoW schools that participated in World Environment Day. Read more from across the Diocese here.