On Friday 6 March, the MSJ community gathered for a special International Women’s Day Breakfast, recognising and celebrating the inspiring women who shape our lives, our College, and our world. The morning provided a wonderful opportunity for students, staff, alumnae and invited guests to come together in a spirit of reflection, gratitude and connection.
We were honoured to welcome our guest speakers, Pia Miranda, Fiona Harris (Class of 1988), Katiuszka Pisani (Class of 2001) and Vanessa Villante (Class of 2005), who generously shared their personal stories, experiences and words of wisdom.
Pia Miranda is an Australian actress and advocate for the anti-bullying organisation Dolly's Dream. MSJ alumnae include Fiona Harris, an accomplished author, scriptwriter and performer; Katiuszka Pisani, who works as a paramedic; and Vanessa Villante, who is a lawyer.
Their reflections offered valuable insight and encouragement to our students, highlighting the importance of resilience, courage and supporting one another.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme, #GiveToGain, reminded us of the power of lifting each other up and the impact we can have when we work together in support of others. Throughout the morning, conversations around the room reflected this message, as members of our community shared stories, laughter and inspiration.
From the beautifully prepared breakfast setting to the meaningful discussions that followed, the event was a fitting celebration of the strength, generosity and influence of women within our community.
It was a truly special morning, and a memorable way to acknowledge International Women’s Day at MSJ, as we continue to recognise the important role women play in shaping a positive and hopeful future for all.
Caroline Russo - Marketing, Events & Communications Officer
On the 17th of February, Mr Dundon and students from the leadership team travelled to MacKillop to celebrate the 2026 launch of project compassion, along with 14 other schools in the Josephite community. There, we sat through a liturgy hosted by the MacKillop leaders and guest speaker Praphulla Shrestha, accompanied by a video with the stories of those who had been helped out by Caritas Australia. Praphulla shared with us his experience working with Caritas Australia, and the many parts around Africa that he’s been able to work with and achieve successes with. We were inspired by the many strong and powerful stories of those who are using their voice to make a difference in their communities.
After the liturgy, we headed to a morning tea of pancakes– as a key component of Shrove Tuesday– and had the opportunity to engage with students from the other schools. Following this was a reading activity, where we annotated articles on how project compassion helped various individuals in their everyday lives. To conclude, we all joined in on a prayer that reminded us all of the importance of gratitude, peace, and community spirit as Catholic faith communities. Through this, our leadership team gained insight and valuable new ideas on how our MSJ community could make a difference, whether big or small.
Imogen K, Emilie B & Maddie T - Year 12
On Friday the 20th of March, students selected from Year 10 represented the school on an outing to St Patrick’s Cathedral for the MACS schools mass. We all gathered at the cathedral feeling eager to participate in the liturgy. There was a shock to see how many young students there were to take part in the spiritual experience. At the beginning of mass, there was a banner procession where all the different schools walked into the mass representing their school by carrying a banner. There was a feeling of community amongst the Cathedral.
After mass, we made our way to the Catholic Leadership Centre to visit the Catholic Education Week exhibition. It showcased a variety of artworks from different schools, displaying the talent amongst different students. It was great to see five of MSJ’s artworks in the mix.
After the event, we felt empowered and inspired by the teachings of St. Patrick and overall really enjoyed the day. Thank you to Ms Calleja for taking us!
Amelia C - Year 10
Photo credit: Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools
On Sunday the 1st of March the Whole of Australia united for Clean up Australia Day founded by Ian Kiernan who had an idea of creating awareness and being able to inspire communities to protect our environment and eliminate waste, Including our MSJ community. 50 staff and students
Staff and Students came together at WG Cresser Reserve in Seaholme to help a cause important to our world.
All of the staff and students who signed up showed an exceeding amount of dedication and enthusiasm towards our common goal. Upon Arivall we found a large amount of rubbish along the reserve so we all put in a lot of hard work and commitment and together we were able to collect 22 bags! Including some bizarre objects such as a Teapot, picnic set, propane gas bottle, boat engine, diving rope, and a shopping trolley!
Thank you so much to all of the teachers, Mrs Fanning, Ms S, Ms Chapman, Montse, Thea and Josh, Mrs Duncan, Ms H and Mrs Georges. Who attended and gave up their weekend to supervise us and to support us with our cleaning.
Camila A - Year 10
On Sunday the 1st of March, MSJ students volunteered and travelled to WG Cresser Reserve in Seaholme to take part in Clean Up Australia Day. This event is of the utmost importance to the MSJ community, as we pride ourselves in sustainability and social justice initiatives. We were happy to put in our effort to take miscellaneous items away from our shores.
Students spent the morning traversing the shoreline, collecting rubbish and removing other discarded items. Some unusual discoveries were kettles, a single croc, a scooter, gas canisters and a mermaid Barbie doll. Overall, students were successful in collating multiple bags full of rubbish, and the fulfilment of caring for our environment. A special thanks to Matilda Murrihy for organising this year's event, and to all teachers, staff and students who took time out of their weekend to support such a cause.
Small choices can have a large impact; be a person who strives for change.
Imogen K - Year 12
