Term 4

Commissioning Mass

NAIDOC Week

During Week 7 the O’Connor Community joined together to celebrate NAIDOC Week 2025. Focused on the theme "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy” the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Team planned and ran a wide range of activities across the week. On Monday morning celebrations were opened with a moving Smoking Ceremony and Flag Raising led by our Aboriginal students. We welcomed Uncle Dave Widders at school on Tuesday and he led our Aboriginal students through a workshop focused on local Aboriginal history and identity. Uncle Dave also presented a session for all Year 7 students focused on local Aboriginal history. An aspect of our program that was really well received by students was held on Wednesday afternoon when Bob Blair joined us to play the didg and dance for students. The whole school attended across two sessions and soon realised they were more than just an audience, and that many would jump up and join in with the dances. A highlight of these sessions was to see all Year 9 and 10 students up at the same time dancing and having fun.

Thursday morning the school community, along with families and local community members joined together for our NAIDOC Liturgy and Assembly. With the assistance of our Lassalian Youth Minister Joe Schmude, our students led an assembly that held deep meaning and showcased strong cultural connection and pride. It was wonderful to have our ‘Deadly Gemigas’ Dance group perform a beautiful contemporary Aboriginal Dance, choreographed and taught to the students by Sharnae Smith. Following the assembly we gathered with our visitors for a delicious morning tea and a yarn. Other activities held during breaks across the week included painting stones with Aboriginal designs that would be featured in our NAIDOC Liturgy and games of touch football.

An exciting new addition for our 2025 celebrations was Dulla Day. Held on Thursday, Dulla Day was an exciting new initiative developed as a way to connect with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students across our community and to engage them in cultural learning opportunities in a secondary school context. Twelve Primary School students joined with a group of our Aboriginal students who acted as mentors and together they participated in a rotation of activities focused on learning areas including HSIE, Art, Science and PDHPE. All students had a fantastic time and came away with new understandings, new connections and greater understanding of daily life at a secondary school.

Our amazing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff deserve to be acknowledged for their effort and engagement across the week. Their strength, courage and pride are a daily inspiration to us all.  

End of Year Mass

Year 7 Lifesaving 2025