NAIDOC Celebrations

Celebrating NAIDOC Week: The Next Generation – Strength, Vision & Legacy

Zoe Nugent

Last week our school community proudly celebrated NAIDOC Week, joining schools and communities across Australia in recognising and honouring the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This year's theme, "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy," reminds us that we all have a role in nurturing young people who will carry forward the stories, wisdom and hope of our nation.

We began our celebrations with a beautiful Flag Raising Liturgy beneath our school flags.

Gathering outdoors together provided a meaningful reminder that God is present in all of creation. We thank Aunt Brenda, Eunice Blair, Nioka Levy and our Year Six leaders for their care and dedication, reminding us of our shared responsibility is to walk together with respect, justice and hope

Throughout the week, students participated in activities where they put their creative skills to good use in their art works.

Our week concluded with a joyful celebration where our young people split into three groups; the Bigibila’s (echidna), the Muraay’s (Sulfur Crested Cockatoo) and the Mudhay’s (Brush-Tailed Possums) to engage in activities related to language, physical health (indigenous Games) and culture.

Highlights for our staff and for Karen Tighe (Subject Matter Expert: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education K-12) who joined our day were;

Seeing and hearing our young people engaging with their Aboriginal Language lessons and trivia
Seeing the joy on students' faces when they learnt new games they can play with their friends in the Indigenous Games Sessions (Kalkadoon Kee’an, Kai, Koalas and Wild dogs)
Hearing the thoughtful connections our young people made between these stories and our Catholic faith in sessions where they explored Aboriginal Dreaming stories and their significance. Students recognised common themes of caring for creation, belonging to community, respecting Elders, stewardship, responsibility and passing wisdom from one generation to the next. These rich conversations demonstrated not only deep learning but also an openness to understanding how truth, beauty and goodness can be recognised across cultures while remaining grounded in our Catholic identity.

After our sessions, we had a sausage sizzle lunch ( thanks to Greg Hill for our expertly cooked and served snags) and completed our day with our NAIDOC Assembly and cake!

At our assembly the winners of our Deadly Door Competition, Best Dressed Angel and our Colouring In competitions were announced and we celebrated student participation, leadership and community spirit were recognised through our Culture, Community, Connection and Commitment (CCCC) Awards

It was wonderful to celebrate those students who embraced the spirit of NAIDOC Week by showing respect, curiosity and a genuine willingness to learn from one another.

As a Catholic school, we are committed to walking together in reconciliation.

Weeks like NAIDOC Week remind us that learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures is not simply an event on the calendar but an important part of forming young people who value the dignity of every person, appreciate the richness of Australia's First Peoples, and strive to build communities of justice, peace and belonging.

Thank you to our staff, students, families and community members who helped make this year's celebrations such a meaningful success.

Opening Ceremony

Naidoc whole school activities ......