National Reconciliation Week 2022

National Reconciliation Week is coming up soon and as usual, we have many activities planned to commemorate it. This year’s theme is ‘Be Brave, Make Change’.

Students at our Junior Campus are invited to wear free dress in Aboriginal themed colours on Tuesday, 31st May. This could include clothing that includes the colours of the Aboriginal flag, or natural colours such as brown, green, or blue. On this day, students will create a big ‘sea of hands’ installation to symbolise their respect for Aboriginal histories and cultures. The same event will take place at our Middle Campus on Friday, 3rd June. 

Thursday, 26th May is National Sorry Day and will be commemorated with a Reconciliation Assembly at our Middle Campus. Local Aboriginal Elder Uncle Rodney Dillon will attend as a guest speaker and our Parish Priest Fr Mike Delaney will lead us in prayer.

More information about National Reconciliation Week can be found on Reconciliation Australia’s website here: https://nrw.reconciliation.org.au/ For those who pray for reconciliation, there is a good collection of guiding prayers on NATSICC’s website: https://www.natsicc.org.au/reconciliation-week-prayers.html

Each year, the College commemorates National Reconciliation Week between 27th May and 3rd June, but we also actively demonstrate our commitment to reconciliation throughout the year with educational incursions and excursions for all students. This week for example, Aboriginal Student Success Teacher, Anne-Marie McWatters is teaching a special history lesson to all Grade 7 classes. Students will have the opportunity to learn more about the palawa of lutruwita/Tasmania and the traditional technology used by Australia’s First Nations Peoples to hunt, communicate and make fire. Also this week, emerging palawa author Adam Thompson will be visiting the College to speak to all Grade 10 students about the textual representations of First Nations Australians. Photos of both incursions, as well as NRW events, will be published in our next newsletter. 

 
Kinder ‘On Country’ excursions to Boronia Beach

All Kinder students recently went ‘on Country’ with local palawa caretaker Jason Smith. Children and staff walked to nearby Boronia Beach with Jason, to learn about ways to care for Country.  Children learnt about the medicinal value of eucalyptus leaves and kannegong. Some students also tasted saltbush leaves and learnt about traditional ‘bush tucker’ that can be found in the local environment. Kinder students practised walking slowly and quietly through the bush. Their efforts were rewarded with a number of wallaby and pademelon sightings. A real highlight of the walk included seeing a penguin in his/her burrow. Staff were impressed with how engaged the young students were in their learning - and how well they carefully and safely climbed across rocky areas. With Boronia Beach so close to our Junior Campus, Kinder classes will do this local walk regularly throughout the rest of 2022. It was wonderful to have Jason Smith, a descendent of Fanny Cochrane Smith, guide students on their first walk to this beautiful location. Thank you/ nayri nina tu Jason! 

Grade 7 Cultural Day Excursion - First Nations Students

Grade 7 First Nations students recently went on a cultural excursion to lunawanna-allona / Bruny Island. Guided by Uncle Rodney Dillon, the students visited a stone tool, rock quarry, The children learnt about traditional land management practices including the cultural burning of yacca/ grass trees. The group ate lunch together at Murrayfield Station and enjoyed a swim at beautiful Trumpeter Bay.

Grade 9 Cultural Day Excursion - First Nations Students

First Nations students in Grade 9 also visited Bruny Island recently. Revisiting areas where they first learnt about cultural burning last year, the students witnessed the regeneration of native grasses and plants. Aboriginal knowledge holders Uncle Rodney Dillon and Jason Smith talked to students about ‘Sea Country’, showing students certain sea grasses and discussing shellfish resources such as abalone. Science teacher Mr Thomas Elkhair accompanied the students on the excursion.