What a busy start to the year! Check out Australian YCS's end of Term 1 & 2 newsletter, where we recap our 2019 so far. Join YCS - aycs.org.au Facebook - facebook.com/australianycs Instagram - @ausycs

1. PERTH
YCS in Perth has had a great start to the year! The
Ursula Frayne group have been busy reviewing the issue
of homelessness. Their action consisted of cooking
meals for the Salvation Army to hand out to those in
need. We also have exciting news with a few new
groups close to starting soon.
Our new St Benedict’s Parish group had their first
meeting on the 15th of June and enjoyed getting to
know each other with a games night. We are looking
forward to seeing what this group gets up to. Another
awesome group has also started, with a new joint YCS
and YCW girls review group. Our first review was on the
14th of June and focused on mental health and how we
can help others around us. We had a guest speaker and
did the review over dinner.
Tyana Orlando, Perth YCS Student
TERM 1 & 2
MAITLAND-NEWCASTLE
After consulting widely within parishes and Catholic Schools,
expressions of interest were sought for people to come forward and
discern together the viability of bringing the Young Christian Student
Movement to our diocese.
A meeting was held in November 2018, facilitated by Walker and
Margaret from Parramatta. More recently we came together on May
16, 2019 to discuss and discern together with Vicky Burrows (Chair
of the National Adult Coordination Team), Obey Chingorivo
(Parramatta YCS Coordinator) and Marilyn Bellett (Catholic
Mission/YCW Youth Liaison Officer).
The result is a group of interested adults are meeting this month, to
form our Adult Support Team, which is our first step towards bringing
this plan to reality. I’ve particularly blessed along the way from the
outstanding support given to me to reach this far from Parramatta
YCS/YCW, the National Team and the YCS Workers & adult volunteers
all over Australia! You inspire me to keep going forward!
Ellen Hazelton, Adult Support Team (AST) Chair

2. TOWNSVILLE
Can you believe we’re already halfway through the year?! Townsville YCS has been full steam ahead
since February, when Monica and Jason handed over to myself (Jarrod), the new YCS Coordinator.
Since then, I have had the pleasure of meeting the different people involved with YCS including the
students, Adult Assistants, Adult Support Team members, and all of our key contacts from different
Catholic Agencies. We began the year with an Ice Skating Social, which allowed the students from
different local groups to reconnect outside of the meeting room.
The start of Term 1 was rocky to say the least, with the devastating floods that affected the Townsville
Region. Despite this, our YCS groups at St Margaret Mary’s College, Ryan Catholic College, St Teresa’s
Catholic College and the Community Group all managed to continue meeting and engaging in the
Review of Life Process. We have also been working with Gilroy Santa Maria College and Saints
Catholic College (a Catholic university college), running Review of Life workshops, and it’s exciting to
see our relationship with them grow.
Issues that our local groups have been reviewing include; Closing the Gap, anxiety, stress, bullying,
self-help and much more. Students have highlighted the relevance and importance of these issues
(especially anxiety, stress and self-help) as they are feeling the pressure to balance every aspect of
their lives, including social, academic, sporting, extracurricular, and family commitments.
Being able to review these issues using the See, Judge, Act methodology has not only given these
students the ability to express their concerns, but to put their faith in action and make real changes in
their lives. It has been so empowering as a new YCS Worker to see the spaces created for students to
discuss their spirituality in an honest and non judgemental way. Provoking them with questions like,
what motivates you? What do you value? What does your reality look like? Has ignited their flames of
joy, providing them energy to keep pursuing their passion of a social justice issue.
Jarrod Bell, Townsville YCS Coordinator
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3. ADELAIDE
So far this year, Adelaide’s Cardijn College YCS group
has been busy working on a variety of different
projects. Following on from the National Leadership in
Action Training in Melbourne earlier this year, we have
been planning our action to ensure that student
voices are heard by Catholic Education South
Australia (CESA). We have been planning what our
core message we would like to send to CESA is, and
preparing to present key individual stories in an
exciting video format.
Whilst doing this, our local group has also conducted
two Review of Life nights, the first with middle school
students (years 7, 8 and 9) and the second with senior
school students (years 10, 11 and 12). Using the See,
Judge, Act methodology, the eager middle school
students reviewed their student realities and reflected
on issues that concerned them. Through this night,
the middle school students have started planning an
action to combat the ‘Climate Crisis’. The senior
students are really looking forward to hearing about
their discussions and their action ideas. At the senior
school review of life night, the students brainstormed
issues and topics they are passionate about and used
techniques to question exactly why they feel the way
they do, what the root of the problem is, and how they
can make change. Again using the See, Judge, Act
methodology, the students settled on the topic of
‘Make Change in School’, especially related to the
wellbeing of teachers, self-care, and life skills.
Throughout their discussions, the students reflected
firstly on how lucky they are to be able to attend
school, their propositions to the school, and their
personal experiences within the school system. Some
mature discussions arose from their reflective
session and the senior students will fully discuss their
ideas for action when they meet next. The students at
Cardijn College are really looking forward to what next
term holds for their actions and reviews!
Iona Bates, Adelaide YCS Student

4. PARRAMATTA
Parramatta YCS has been busy
with a variety of workshops and
Justice Days aimed at training
high school students in:
- Mission and Agency
- The History of YCS
- Public Speaking and Debate
NATIONAL - WORKERS SCHOOL
Recently the YCS Workers gathered for their annual retreat. It was an empowering weekend filled with
fun and reflection of their work for YCS. They discussed the joys of the work, as well as areas that are
hard sometimes. They also shared current student realities from groups around Australia and
brainstormed how they can help to lessen pressures young people face today.
NATIONAL - STRATEGIC WEEKEND
In April, adults from YCS and YCW around Australia gathered to discuss the current and future
realities of our movements. It was an exciting weekend with ideas and strategies being developed to
help our students and adults at the local level.

5. WANT TO SEE YCS IN YOUR
SCHOOL OR PARISH?
We are always excited to welcome new members, and would love for you to get involved!
YCS is open to all high school students.
If there is a YCS worker in your diocese, contact them via email:
townsville@aycs.org.au
perth@aycs.org.au
adelaide@aycs.org.au
parramatta@aycs.org.au
If there isn’t a YCS worker in your diocese, you can contact the national YCS office:
office@aycs.org.au
or you can message us on Facebook!
Just search for “Australian YCS”
Student run, Australia-wide
YCS is an international movement, present in over 80 countries, that empowers secondary school
students to take action based on what they believe, in their student reality.
YCS gives students the chance to be agents of change themselves. When we as students take
ownership and responsibility for our movement it allows us to develop the skills needed to lead an
organisation as well as those needed to play an active leadership role in our community.
Townsville, QLD
Adelaide, SA
Perth, WA
Parramatta, NSW
Melbourne, VIC
Abergowrie, QLD
Newcastle, NSW