Class Charity Projects

Each Maris Stella class adopts a charity with which they work throughout the year, raising funds to purchase equipment or upgrade facilities as required. The girls also look forward to visiting their charity, bringing much-needed support, cheer and assistance.

Examples of charities supported are Mary Asher and St Gabriel’s Homes for the Aged, Just for Us Children. Holah Babies Homes, Domino House for abandoned babies, SA Guide Dogs, Hope House, CROW Animal Centre, Hillside Haven for cats, Dawncliff Home, Streetwise, Inkanyezi Creche in Crestholme, and the Denis Hurley Centre.

School Projects

Our school makes a weekly collection of vegetables for the Sisters of Charity who run a soup kitchen in Shallcross. Groups of girls visit the Edith Benson Children’s Home on a weekly basis, while others visit the residents of Nazareth House in our Adopt-a-Granny programme.

Our Grade 10 girls work with the children from one of our sister schools, encouraging literacy through implementing the SMILE programme. An Adult Literacy school has also run at Maris Stella since 1995 and senior girls volunteer their time to help teach literacy and computer skills.

Maris Stella actively supports The Sunflower Fund and hosts a function annually to raise funds for this worthy cause. Staff, pupils, siblings, and parents wearing their bandanas or topes, make a family morning out of their participation in the annual Sunflower Fund Walk. In 2016, Maris Stella was thrilled to be chosen as the winner of the National Sunflower Fund Schools Competition.

Maris Stella has an active Interact Club – the Junior branch of Rotary, an international organization. Our Interact Club is actively involved in environmental and community issues. Pupils have attended beach clean-ups, as well as supported Earth Hour and Arbour Day. Girls have been involved in the community, visiting St Thomas Children’s Home, Clare Ellis Brown School, and Esimphiwe. They made cards and donated food for the aged at Tafta. They also support Lunch Buddies, supplying sandwiches on a weekly basis to underprivileged children. At Maris Stella, we take seriously our Founder’s words: The spirit of the Holy Family can be summed up in one word, CHARITY.