Christmas arrived and proved that the spirit of Retribuam is alive and well in the Mount St Mary’s community. The pandemic has given us many challenges throughout the year and when the Christmas Senior Citizens’ Party had to be postponed it may have seemed like Christmas was lost.

Luckily our MSM community would not allow that to happen. With the support of parents and carers, staff, students and local businesses, we were able to ensure we rose to the challenge to give our disappointed guests a Christmas to remember.

A parcel and hamper were created for all of our guests who would have attended on the day. This wouldn’t have been possible though without the generosity of all who donated in the build up to the event. The MSM community never fail to show their generosity. This is especially appreciated by the students and school during what we know can be a difficult time for families across the city. Please accept our heartfelt thanks for all the donations we received.

As well as the hamper, guests received a future invite to join us for afternoon tea later in the academic year. Finally, in an attempt to create the true feeling of Christmas, our amazing hospitality students and Young Leaders worked with staff to create a Christmas meal, finished with delicious home-made Christmas cake and brownies.

In terms of spreading the Christmas spirit, this was simply not enough, Year 10 Young Leaders decorated the mini buses, put on their Christmas outfits and got ready to deliver parcels and sing Christmas carols at the door steps of over 45 houses. The day was a great success and could not have been possible without the help of the entire Mount St Mary’s community, who rallied together to donate gifts, wrap parcels, prepare food, decorate, deliver and entertain the masses, ensuring that the spirit of Retribuam shines on. Thank you to all involved, you truly made a difference this Christmas.