From the Principal

This week at St Mary's College we are celebrating our First Nations students and their cultures through our NAIDOC Week Assembly. In the past few years it has been wonderful to watch our First Nations students proudly stand in front of the College and embrace their culture. 

To continue working towards being a College that affirms Aboriginal Culture, we are going to embark on the process of creating a Reconciliation Action Plan, or RAP for short. A RAP is a formal statement of commitment to reconciliation. We will be using the Narragunnawali platform and be supported by Dr Sarah Jane Moore, Education Officer, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education at Catholic Education Tasmania. 

At the College level, I will lead the process, which will involve all students and staff and encourage parent and family participation. This is an exciting and timely initiative for the College. 

As a non-Aboriginal woman, I pay deep respect to Tasmanian Aboriginal and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly those in our College community. I recognise that this land was never ceded by Tasmanian Aboriginal people and I acknowledge them as the continuing custodians of land, sky and water.

I would like to quote our greatly respected Year 11 student, Amelie Cox, who is a proud Aboriginal woman: 

'The past needs to be acknowledged by black and white people through listening to indigenous voices and stories. To achieve true reconciliation, trust must be built between our people through not only words but actions.'

We are taking Amelie’s lead.

Helen Spencer

Principal