A visitor to St Bernadette’s Primary last Friday 7 August would have been forgiven for thinking the school was in the middle of a blackout. Teachers stood in darkened rooms while students worked with the sunlight that streamed through the windows.

However there was nothing wrong with the power. Rather the Lalor Park School was at the beginning of the Caritas Australia’s inaugural Be More Weekend. To teach a lesson about energy consumption and the need to cut down on student’s carbon footprint, lights were turned off in most classes for the day.

Not only that but students also ensured they didn’t bring plastic in their lunch boxes, took time out to play the Be More board game and worked in the schools burgeoning vegetable gardens.

These actions were a hands on lesson in stewardship, the need to look after the environment to ensure a healthy, sustainable world for all.

Going without was also an expression of solidarity with the world’s poor. Or as Molly, a student at St Bernadette’s noted "look at what we have, they don’t have anything."

The Be More weekend is the flagship event of the Be More Challenge and St Bernadette’s is a school where the spirit of Oscar Romero is alive and well.

Teachers have been heard to ask students in the middle of disputes or selfish squabbles, "Aspire not to have more…"

And students reply understandingly, "…but to Be more."

Ms Kate Owens, who registered her class in the Be More Challenge, sees the refrain as evidence that the ethos of the Be More challenge has infiltrated the lives and understanding of her students, particular those in years 3-6.

Staff and students have had Be More reflections, PowerPoints and materials downloaded from the Be More website, although she doesn’t see the Be More Challenge as something that has been ‘forced’ on people.  Rather it has flown naturally out of the school’s commitment to social justice.

Ms Owens encourages other schools to participate in the Be More Challenge by pointing out that, "The Be More challenge should not be seen as something extra to do, or that takes more time. Rather if a school is concerned with the emotional well being of their students, making sure they are good global citizens, then Be More helps."

For St Bernadette’s the Be More Challenge is helping their students to gain a holistic education as good global citizens.