Principal's Post

Our students demanded that we support those impacted by recent fires. After consideration of how to channel the good will of our community, they suggested we support families by raising money, raising awareness and simply getting out there to do something practical.

Over the past 5 weeks, students from our Year 12 Vocational Major class donned the work boots, the fluoro shirts, the wide brim hat, gloves, sunscreen and readiness for hard work. These students, and wonderful staff led by Mel Brooks, have volunteered with a wonderful charity BlazeAid. So far, they have helped property owners with the following:

Week One: 2.6km of fencing complete Van Ryan farm Terip Terip

Week Two: 3.2 km of fencing dismantled & cleared Creightons Creek

Week Three: 312 scorched citrus trees pruned Gooram Orchard

Week Four: 3km fencing cleared 103 star pickets removed Creightons Creek

Week Five: 2.5 km fencing cleared, 110 star pickets removed Creightons Creek

Week Six: 2.5 km fencing material salvaged and re used. Gooram.

Our students have said the following about the program:

• It’s so good to look back at the end of the day and see how much we managed to get done, and we work so well together and have a laugh at the same time – Danni

• Listening to the farmers tell their stories makes you want to work even harder – Xavier

• It would be good if we could get even more kids from school out working for BlazeAid, it’s a massive help to the farmers – Jesse

• I really look forward to Friday’s now, I love working outside all day and doing something that is so helpful even if it’s in a small way – Jazmin

• We learn how to do something new every week - Connor  

This is the practical action being fulfilled.

Students are raising awareness through our classrooms, assemblies, liturgies and dialogue across the school.

Raising money, and ensuring it gets it to the right spot, has taken careful planning. We have worked hard on making it easy to donate. This money goes to: supporting our students helping through BlazeAid; ongoing well-being; and supporting community events and activities that raise awareness. The conditions of this fund can be found through this link.

We ask for your donations - all money goes to the right place.

We ask that you, or your business, consider a $250 volunteer package that will pay for transport, resources and supporting our students volunteering each Friday with BlazeAid. We thank Benalla Bus Lines for supporting this initiative.

We ask that you donate to this fund generally.

An example of the messages the college has received include:

"We are very grateful for your efforts today. Thank you, and please pass a big thank you on to the students".

“the property owner spoke to me on site and praised the work we had done. He said what we achieved that day would have taken him at least seven12-hour days to complete. He was very grateful for the help and noted that it lifted the burden he carried considerably that day.”

Our vision statement says: At FCJ College we:

• are companions to those in our community and beyond

• provide a curriculum beyond the classroom that encourages a love and respect for learning in all forms

• commit to educating students to be beacons of hope.

What better way to enact the Hope-filled message of Easter than to look for the light amongst the darkness - from death and destruction to the loving and enduring message of the resurrection. This is but one example of how our students live and act for others.

Please donate what you can - visit

Happy Easter.

Omnia Pro Deo

Joseph Mount

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