Finding Freedom at Cecil

Celebration of Refugee Week at Cecil

Sunday 16 June to Saturday 22 June (Week 8 of Term 2) Refugee Week was not just another week on the Cecil calendar!

With a focus on family

This year’s Refugee Week theme “Finding Freedom – with a focus on family”captured the resilience, strength, and unity that defines the refugee experience. The Week 8 Focus Connect PowerPoint presentation created by STARS CONNECT provided the opportunity for the Cecil community to pause, to listen, and acknowledge the journeys of millions who have been forced to flee their homes in search of safety, dignity, and hope.

This year once again, we celebrated Refugee Week by hosting a special lunch event where our refugees and their parents along with our senior executive staff came together to share a meal and their stories of the courageous steps taken by them to be where they are today.  Invited refugee guest speakers also shared stories of their courage to leave behind everything they own, their determination to rebuild their lives from scratch, and their unwavering belief in a better tomorrow. 

The stories shared at the lunch event were a reminder that behind every statistic, 

there's a story  a story of loss, of fear, but also of incredible strength and resilience.

As a refugee myself, every year Refugee Week is not just about looking back; it's also about looking forward to making the world a better place - a world where every person, regardless of their background or circumstances, is treated with compassion, dignity, and respect. Let us all come together to embrace diversity as a source of strength, not division.

Imeelya Jameel Year 9 / Ms Rattos Refugee Coordinator