Outreach Day Celebration – A Heartfelt Success!
On Friday, 13 June 2025, St Mary’s DSG celebrated Outreach Day in honour of Youth Day—a meaningful and action-packed day dedicated to service, creativity, and community. From Grade 00 to Grade 12, our girls embraced the opportunity to give back and uplift those in need through a variety of engaging activities, both on and off campus.
Grade 8 – Crafting Joy and Lending a Hand
The Grade 8s spent their morning crafting beautiful musical instruments, with paint, glue, and glitter bringing vibrant life to their creations. After break, they rolled up their sleeves and helped sort books in the school’s bookstore and assisted with the recycling of old materials. Their contribution ensured resources could be better organised and reused where needed.
Grade 9 – Rotating through Purpose
The Grade 9s experienced a dynamic and rewarding day, rotating through several outreach stations. They cut up an incredible amount of donated vegetables—thank you to all who contributed! These were delivered to Irene Homes and The Good Shepherd Church in Eersterust for their soup kitchen. In addition, the girls created heartfelt cards filled with encouraging messages to be sent to fellow Grade 12 students at other schools ahead of their final exams. Their creativity was inspiring!
They also sanded and painted old chairs, giving them a vibrant new life, and packed toiletries into decorated gift boxes for donation to Phuthaditshaba Primary School. The final rotation involved packing soup packets to warm both bodies and hearts this winter.
Grade 10 – A Joyful Visit to Irene Homes
The Grade 10s had a truly blessed day at Irene Homes. Their visit began with a chapel service led by Rev Allison Thabethe, setting a warm and reflective tone. The Chapel Choir joined in a workshop with the Irene Homes choir, culminating in a musical collaboration that uplifted all present.
Throughout the day, students decorated cupcakes with the residents, painted nails, shared stories, and enjoyed a joyful picnic with their new friends. It was a day filled with compassion, connection, and celebration.
Grade 11 – Spreading Cheer at Phuthaditshaba
The Grade 11s visited Phuthaditshaba Primary School in Atteridgeville, where they spent a lively morning with the Grade R learners. After setting up activity stations, the students ran face painting, puppet shows, a treasure hunt, and outdoor games—bringing wide smiles to 138 young children.
They also shared sweet treats and joined in a friendly netball match with the school’s staff. As a surprise, the Grade 7 learners performed a beautiful thank-you dance, leaving our girls moved and inspired. It was a day of deep connection and community spirit.
Grade 12 – Leadership Through Creativity and Compassion
The matrics started the day by weighing and organising second-hand clothing donations, which were later delivered to Irene Homes. They assembled knitted squares and began stitching them together into large blankets.
Students also split into teams to design over 65 colourful and educational posters for Foundation Phase classrooms, covering key curriculum content and themes such as endangered species awareness.
They later joined the Grade 00 to Grade 1 learners for a special collaborative activity—painting and sanding wooden blocks. Each little one was paired with a “big sister” matric student, creating moments of mentorship, care, and joy. A live demonstration of how the blocks are cut was also provided, sparking curiosity and excitement. The little ones absolutely loved the experience and time spent with their older peers.
The day ended on a high note with a large-scale knitting display on the hockey field, where a patchwork of compassion spanned nearly 400 square metres.
A Day to Remember
The entire day concluded with a whole-school picnic, where students and staff gathered for a drone photo and shared lunch together—a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when hearts and hands come together.
Thank you to every student, staff member, and parent who helped make Outreach Day 2025 such a beautiful success. Your generosity, energy, and spirit truly made a difference.
