LORETO NEWS

From the Principal 

Dr Nicole Archard

National Reconciliation Week

This week the whole school came together in an assembly to acknowledge National Reconciliation Week. The theme for National Reconciliation Week is ‘be a voice for generations’. The aim of this week is to be a voice for reconciliation in order to help create a more just, equitable, and reconciled country for all. 

 

At Loreto we are working towards the fulfilment of our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). In relation to this we have done the following:

  • Engaged all staff in Professional Development in the writing of the vision for our RAP and conducted an audit across all teaching areas Reception to Year 12 in order to identify areas where indigenous culture and recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people can be further enhanced. 
  • Appointed an Indigenous Student Coordinator who is also a teacher at the College, this new position was put in place at the beginning of 2022. The Indigenous Student Coordinator works with our indigenous girls to organise events such as Reconciliation Week and other important initiatives to promote Indigenous culture and heritage. The Indigenous Student Coordinator and all Indigenous girls meet with the Principal every two weeks to discuss plans and initiatives to be implemented across the College. 
  • Have an Indigenous Student Leader as part of our student executive team, thus ensuring there is an Indigenous student voice in all student run activities. 
  • Held our first Indigenous student event at the College in February this year, this event was initiated and run by our current Indigenous students and attended by more than 80 Indigenous students from schools across Adelaide. It was a very successful event and involved a smoking ceremony, Welcome to Country, guest speakers, games, and a BBQ dinner. 
  • Replaced our single flagpole in the Senior School with three flagpoles; we are now flying the Australian, Aboriginal, and Torres Strait Islander flags. We are currently working on replicating this in the Junior School. We also have all the three flags on smaller portable stands so we can use these for school indoor events.
  • Constructed an Indigenous Firepit and Yarning Circle, located in Boarding. Our Indigenous girls contributed to the design of this project. This firepit and yarning circle will create a cultural space to gather and celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. This complements our existing Indigenous Yarning Circle and Indigenous Garden that is located in the Senior School.
  • Constructed a new SEAD garden for students in the Junior School that acknowledges the spiritual coming together of the Loreto Values of ‘Freedom, Justice, Verity, Sincerity, and Felicity’ with the Kaurna word ‘Niina Marni’, meaning ‘Hi, how are you?’ 
  • Engaged a female Indigenous artist to work with our Indigenous girls in the design of a large three storey mural that will be located in the Quad of the Senior School. The artist has met with the girls several times this term and has been a wonderful role model and mentor for them. The mural is due to be completed by the end of Term 2. We are excited that there will be a significant display of Aboriginal culture within our school. The story that will be represented in this mural will then create an oral history that can be passed down through our school community over time.
  • Twenty-eight girls and three teachers attended our first Indigenous Cultural Immersion trip to Cape York during the Term 1 holidays to learn more about Indigenous culture and engage in a community project. 
  • Added Kaurna Country to our email signature and other places where our address is published in order to acknowledge the College is located on Kaurna land.
  • Ensured that all school events commence with an Acknowledgement of or Welcome to Country. 

As a College we take very seriously our responsibility to celebrate Indigenous culture and we understand the need to further educate ourselves and our community on how we can further achieve the outcomes of reconciliation. I am very proud of our Indigenous girls; they are a beautiful asset to the College. 

 

Dr Nicole Archard

Principal