CATHOLIC schools across South Australia will join together for Catholic Education Week, May 9 to 15.

St Mary MacKillop School, Wallaroo, along with other sites in the Port Pirie Diocese, are planning activities around this year’s diocesan theme of “Who is my neighbour?”

“There will be a traditional simultaneous activity, where our 13 schools will participate in ‘neighbourly acts’, St Mary MacKillop School principal Michelle Miller said.

“We will commence our annual collection of items for the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal (collecting warm winter woollies, blankets, cans of soup and food), we will also reach out to staff and residents in local aged care facilities and make and deliver cards and treats to them.

“These neighbourly acts are explicitly in response to the call for us to ‘go and do likewise’, taken from the Parable or story of the Good Samaritan.

“Photos of our neighbourly acts will be used to make up a collage along with other schools in the Port Pirie Diocese.”

St Mary MacKillop students will also write poems and prayers around the theme, with the final products to be put into a book with illustrations.

“Students will also be asked to contribute their own ideas for activities that will demonstrate acts of kindness and being a good neighbour,” Ms Miller said.

“The good example of being a good neighbour and putting the needs of others to the forefront has already been set by year 4 student Mitchell Depledge, who initiated a fundraising activity in the last week of term 1.

“Mitchell knows in term 1 our students learn about people who live in poverty and we raise funds for the Catholic charity Caritas through a particular program called Project Compassion which empowers these people.

“Mitchell decided to hold a stall at recess and lunch time over three days, selling donated sweets and treats to students and staff.

“Mitchell and his friends raised $377.50 with all funds to go to Project Compassion.”