Dear Families

Thank you for my warm welcome back last Monday as I returned from a hot and sunny Darwin to the more tepid temperature of our southern winter. This year Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week had far greater meaning for me as I experienced and learnt about so much during my time in the Northern Territory and the Tiwi Islands. At St Mary’s as we approached Sorry Day on May 26th, we took this opportunity to acknowledge and remember the experiences of the Stolen Generations and their families. Sorry Day serves as a reminder of the importance of healing, understanding, and working towards reconciliation. Our school recognised this at assembly and with activities to educate our students about this significant day.

National Reconciliation Week

National Reconciliation was a time for all Australians to come together and promote understanding, respect, and unity. Our school actively engaged in various events and initiatives throughout the week to foster reconciliation and strengthen our school community. These activities aimed to empower students to explore their own identity, learn about Indigenous cultures and histories and promote reconciliation within our school and beyond. Please see the exciting activities and workshops that were planned for this special week.

In Prep B we read picture story books to learn about Reconciliation Week. We read ‘My Country’, ‘Walking in Gagudju Country’ and ‘Day Break’. We responded to the stories by drawing and writing. Our favourite tasks were drawing tiny pictures of the creatures in the book ‘Walking in Gagudji’ and using indigenous symbols to tell our own stories. We shared a Buddy Activity with our Year 5 Buddies creating an art piece which reflects Reconciliation.

In year One we learnt the importance of the land and the spiritual importance it has to Indigenous peoples. We learnt about the colours of the Aboriginal flag and what they represent. We read a story called ‘My Country’ and shared what we love about our country at the Assembly on Friday.

In Year Two we read the picture story book Respect. We looked at the important role that respect plays in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. This includes respect for culture, stories, song, Elders and Country. We reflected on how and why showing respect to others and to yourself is such an important message. When learning about the significance of Sorry Day in our history as Australians we explored the five-petal ‘Native Desert Rose’ as a symbol chosen by members of the Stolen Generation. We made a display to acknowledge this.

In Year Three we focused on reconciliation during our prayer time. We considered the historical culture and stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and gave special intentions towards reconciliation and acknowledgement in wider Australia.

In Year Four we read a selection of Indigenous story books and focused on National Reconciliation Week as a way to learn more about Australia’s First Peoples and to value their culture.

We discussed how we can contribute towards the goal of achieving reconciliation in Australia and to build on positive and respectful relationships between the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and non-Indigenous Australians. We read a story and watched an episode on Behind the News to learn about National Sorry Day, a day that acknowledges the Stolen Generations. and how things have changed in the years since.

In Year Five we read a picture book called “Sorry Day” by Coral Vass and Dub Leffler, discussing it and responding to it in writing. We sang Andrew Chinn songs, such as ‘Ancient Legacy’, ‘Here We Stand’ and ‘Hearts of Courage’ each morning for prayer, reflecting on them. We shared a Buddy Activity with our Prep Buddies making an art piece to reflect on Reconciliation.

In Year 6 we are daily stating the Acknowledgement of Country over a 2 week period as we discuss and learn about Reconciliation Week and Sorry Day. We are reading from the Big Book Called, “Country/Place”, a part of the “Our Land, Our Stories” series, written by Kate Habgood. The students are also completing a task in Home Learning, watching and responding to a Behind The News episode on Sorry Day and creating a small poster as a reflection. We are focusing on two aspects of Sorry Day, referring to the land not being ceded by Aboriginal peoples and also on the Stolen Generation.

In Performing Arts we worked on singing the Aboriginal Our Father. We have also been working on the song along the road to Gundergai and made comparisons between this song and some of the traditional aboriginal music about the Murrumbidgee River.

First Eucharist Preparation

We continue to pray for our Year 4 students, as they prepare for their First Eucharist. The Sacrament of First Eucharist is an important milestone in their faith journey. We thank Ms Earle, Mrs Mc Donald and Miss McGuinness in partnership with their parents and carers, Father Jerome and the Parish for the support they are giving our students.

STEM Learning in Years 5 & 6: Makey Makeys

Our Year 5 and 6 students are diving into exciting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) projects. They are engaging in hands-on activities, problem-solving challenges, and collaborative learning experiences to develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, through using the Makey Makey kits. The squeals of delight when their designs worked was wonderful to see and hear. We look forward to hearing more about these exciting projects. A huge thank you to the P & F for the funds raised to support our digital resources.

Year 5 & 6 Lightning Premier Netball and Football

Our talented Year 5 and 6 students rugged up to play in the elements yesterday and today. I loved receiving updates from the staff that accompanied them. Our sportspersonship was a credit and as Mr A text me; “They were an absolute pleasure to deal with all day”. Congratulations to all participants for their outstanding efforts! Thank you to the staff for their training, bus booking and umpiring for the last few weeks culminating in the Lightning Premiership. We acknowledge the work of Angela Mason, Simon Addicoat, Aoife McGuinness, Denise Santamaria, Justin Buttigieg, Kat Reade, Paula Incretolli and Anastasia Romios.

Our School Production - Pirates Past Noon

We are so proud and excited that our community has a musical production this year. We look forward to this being a biennial extravaganza. Much work has been done as scripts were selected earlier in the year, auditions have just taken place, pirate songs, jokes and dance moves are being designed and much much more. We are fortunate to be led by our resident St Mary’s Primary School Performing Arts Leader, Jes Earle. Lots of volunteers will be needed and we know that the community will join our pirate crew.

Our Year 4 Excursion to the Shrine

On Thursday 25th of May 2023 the Year Four students visited the Shrine of Remembrance. They participated in a guided tour and information session where they had the opportunity to learn about wartime history, hear about diverse peoples from all walks of life, and experience the living importance of remembrance in Australian communities. The students listened to stories of ordinary people in extraordinary times whose efforts and experiences helped to shape our nation.

Fete Preparation - Save the Date!

Our highly anticipated school Fete is on for Term 4! Please mark your calendars for Saturday, 18th November, 2023. The Fete promises to be a day filled with fun, entertainment, delicious food and exciting activities for the whole family. We look forward to your support and participation in making this event a great success. We thank the fete committee for their numerous meetings already and the many people who have volunteered to help. All funds raised will go towards landscaping the grounds and creating an outdoor classroom behind the Adventure Playground.

Year 4 Students Visiting Stonnington Kindergarten and Papilio

In addition to our current kinder visits, our Year 4 ambassadors will be visiting Stonnington Kindergarten next Term. These visits present an excellent opportunity for our students to interact with the younger children, engage in educational activities and learn about the importance of community involvement and caring for others. We appreciate the enthusiasm and kindness shown by our Year 4 students during this visit. The feedback I receive from our kinder families and educators speaks glowingly of our students and the positive impact they have on the younger students.

King's Birthday Long Weekend

Please note that we will have a long weekend in celebration of the King's Birthday on Monday 12th June. The school will be closed on that day, allowing our students, staff, and families to enjoy a relaxing long weekend.

Disco

We look forward to seeing you all at our Disco next week, on Thursday 15th June 5:30- 7:30pm. This is a not to be missed event. Thank you to our P & F for organising it and we look forward to seeing some amazing costumes.

A new arrival in the St Mary’s family

We are delighted to have a new baby brother for Ellie of Prep B fame and her sisters Pippa and Lettie. We can’t wait to meet him and watch him grow. We know that Ellie is a wonderful big sister.

Our thoughts and prayers are also with Willem and his family, Adrian and Karen as they mourn the loss of their beloved Nanna, Jean Outjers. Please keep them all in your prayers.

Finally I wanted to share some highlights of my week in Darwin and the Tiwi Islands. Before I do so, I would like to acknowledge and thank Mr Anthony Speranza who stepped in as Acting Principal in my absence. Together with Erica, the Leadership Team and all the staff his leadership allowed me to relax and enjoy the conference. It is always my pleasure and privilege to work alongside him and I thank him for all that he brings to our community especially in the area of Wellbeing, where he supports many gently, respectfully and always with patience and kindness.

My Island home to quote Christine Anu

Together with fifteen principals from the South Central Principal Network we had the privilege of being based on Larrakia land, a fortnight ago. We enjoyed beautiful weather and spent the time deepening our understanding and connection to Aboriginal spirituality, cultures, languages and traditions.

We had time to be enriched and consider how we are culturally responsive in our own lives and in our own school communities. It became obvious through beautiful experiences and meeting great people that once we know better we do better. Integrating our cultures together in our communities is up to each one of us.

Grappling with reconciliation is so important when acknowledging the diverse ancient culture of Aboriginal people. There is much to learn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through their knowledge, cultures and traditions. The more I learnt, the more I realised how little I knew.

Highlights of the trip for me included:

Visiting Ubirr in Kakadu National Park - seeing the vast landscape and learning about how the art work has recorded day to day events in the lives of Aboriginal people and how this art work helps to tell their story. We were grateful to walk the land with local elder Graeme as he shared stories of how they sustain their local environments and food chains, the importance of family, ceremonies and respect.

Visiting Catholic Education Northern Territory to pray together and learn about the relationships of the Aboriginal people, their spirituality and connectedness to the environment.

Visiting the Tiwi Islands and community where we were able to experience first hand Aboriginal spirituality, cultures, languages and traditions. An excellent way to culminate a week of learning and immersion.

Networking with great Principals who brought their positive attitudes and enthusiasm. Such a great support network who are willing to listen and share their experiences and knowledge. Our week had an emphasis on relationships, respect and opportunities to foster connections with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. All our experiences had a meaningful impact toward us playing our part in Australia’s reconciliation journey.

The timing of this Principal Conference resonated deeply with all of this taking place as we acknowledged National Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week. It certainly affirmed in each of us a respect for the languages, cultures and diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The trip had a powerful impact upon me and I hope to share my learning with the community as when we know better, we do better, as our Indigenous Educators taught us.

Take care and wishing God's blessings and peace upon each of you.

Mrs Cathy Ferrari

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