From the Principal

NAIDOC Week

The National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) week emerged from the recognition by Indigenous Australians that they were neither respected nor listened to, and from their determination to effect change. Whilst NAIDOC week is officially celebrated over the school holidays, recognition of this important occasion was given at this week’s College assembly. Our special guests, Shaun Nannup and Josh Bertwistle, presented a moving Welcome to Country with a focus on song, art, dance, language and story.

 

The theme of NAIDOC Week this year is ‘Voice, Treaty, Truth. Let’s work together’. These words lie at the heart of the Uluru Statement that represents an Indigenous position reached after long discussion. It begins with the importance of voice. Indigenous culture, like all cultures, is built around language, in this case many languages. When languages die out cultures are put under great strain. The theme also aims at highlighting our various First Nations’ desires for lasting and effective agreements such as Treaties- which cannot be achieved unless we have a shared, truthful understanding of the nature of the dispute, of the history, of how we got to where we stand.

 

This week’s assembly raised awareness amongst our students and staff. The NAIDOC co-chair’s words are compelling:

The history of our First Peoples is the history of all of us, of all of Australia, and we need to own it - hearing this history is necessary before we can come to some true reconciliation, some genuine healing for both sides.”

(Pat Thompson)

School holidays

Best wishes to all our families for the school holiday period. Our Music Tour to Sydney,  Netball Club Tour to Singapore and debating competition in Melbourne will be highlights for the students and staff involved.

 

Congratulations and best wishes to Mr Rob Thomas as he moves to Wesley College to assume the Head of Rowing position. We look forward to announcing his replacement and other new staff at the beginning of term 3.

 

Robert Henderson

Principal

CEWA and recent cyber security incidents

I am writing to advise that Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) has recently been the subject of false email representations designed to obtain personal information.

Our IT security team has systems and measures in place to monitor and respond quickly to cyber security incidents, and in this case, detected and quickly intercepted unauthorised access to a small number of CEWA email accounts.

Supported by an international cyber security firm, CEWA’s IT security team continues to take steps to identify any possible data breaches and limit potential effects on our staff, students and school communities.

You may have seen reports in the media that respected organisations worldwide have been subjected to similar illegal activity, and thus CEWA has not been specifically targeted. While investigations are ongoing, a confirmed data breach has been identified at one school and there is no evidence that any student data has been put at risk as a result of the breach. Additional cyber security measures were promptly put in place and the parent community informed.

This incident is a timely reminder of the importance of good cyber safety behaviours and additional information on cyber security can be found at https://www.staysmartonline.gov.au/protect-yourself

 

Fraudulent emails

Several tips are recommended in determining if you have received a fraudulent email:

  • Use unique passwords across different online accounts.
  • Treat any email you did not expect to receive with suspicion.
  • CEWA and your school will never request your password in an email or over the phone.

If you have questions or concerns about the safety and security of your personal information, please contact CEWA’s cyber security partner, ES2, on 1800 372 732.

The safety and security of all in the CEWA community remains our highest priority and CEWA will continue to take measures to ensure online safety.

Yours sincerely

Dr Debra Sayce

Executive Director