Shepparton's St Mel's Primary School put a twist on their annual feast day celebration this year.
Every year on February 6 the school pays tribute to St Mel for his compassion and community work.
However, alongside the school’s normal liturgy the students followed in St Mel's footsteps and gave back to the wider community by helping bushfire victims.
Parents and students of the school rallied together to collect hardly used or new books to donate to Shepparton's Rossignoli Real Estate Books for Bushfires campaign.
Books are being collected across the region by a number of participating businesses to distribute to libraries and schools who were affected by the recent bushfires.
St Mel's Primary School Religious Education Leader Danae Napier said the students also made bookmarks for bushfire-affected students to use with their new books.
“The day was a great opportunity for students to join together and get a sense of how they can help the community,” she said.
“The drives resonate so well with what the day is all about,” she said.
The students finished the day off with a family picnic lunch and an icy pole.
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