27 May – 3 June 2022
This week, our Kindergarten to Year 6 students have been exploring the meaning of Reconciliation Week’s theme: “Be Brave. Make Change”.
Every year group has spent time learning about the history of our First Nations’ people and why there is a need for reconciliation. By also learning about our First Nations cultures, traditions and the valuable contributions First Nations’ peoples continue to make to Australia, we believe our school is making small steps that will contribute to the healing of First Nations’ people.
On National Sorry Day last Thursday, 26 May, our Junior School and Gawura students gathered together to hear about the significance this day holds for our First Nations’ peoples. One of our Year 9 parents, Mr Andrew Bacon, whose Aboriginal son Alexander attends our secondary school, then spoke of the impact the Stolen Generations has had on his family. Hearing this personal account of Andrew’s grandmother’s experiences was very moving and our primary students listened with great respect and empathy during his talk.
After Andrew’s talk, Kindergarten children wrote down some prayers (along with drawings) reflecting on John’s story and the meaning of Sorry Day.
This week, each year group in the Junior School discussed the importance of reconciliation and the challenge for all Australians to “Be Brave. Make Change” to tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation in order to enrich and benefit the lives of all Australians. Students were asked to write down some of their ideas about how they can ‘be brave and make a positive change’ at school, at home and in their community.
Our Stage 3 students also created a collective display of images and writing this week in the Level 6 Open Area that explains what reconciliation means to them. The ‘yarning circle’ is displayed around a campfire (right), with each student writing on a footprint what it means to Be Brave and Make Change. Gawura teacher Michael Kirk was delighted with the end result: “I am really impressed and felt great joy and pride reading each one. Our students here truly have a great knowledge for our First Nations’ history.”
