Welcome to 2024! It is great to see everyone back in Melbourne after having some well-deserved time at home on Country with family.

We began our year with a beautiful Smoking Ceremony by Uncle Colin Hunter to welcome all new and returning MITS mob, staff, guests and family members to Country. The students are grateful to Uncle Colin for generously offering his time to MITS mob who may feel far from home.

Holidays and Soul Food!

It’s amazing to see how students have grown and to hear the stories of their time back home, hunting, fishing, swimming, surfing and enjoying family holidays.

Munyari shared a special photo with us of his time spent collecting traditional foods with family during the holidays. Not only is this staple bush tucker, but the traditional knowledge and teachings to younger generations is part of one’s identity.

For those from the NT, wet season has brought new life to Country but also heavy rains. A number of communities have experienced significant flooding including parts of Darwin, so we hope everyone is safe and dry.

Year 12 students

2024 sees 13 MITS alumni in Year 12 across five Melbourne Pathways Schools, and two students back home at school, and we are so thrilled to support the final year of their journey.

Adam, Antonio, Bruce, Leo and Marley (St Kevin’s College), Rumarlea, Denise and Pauline (Kingswood College); Antwan (Trinity Grammar); Moni and Debbie (Siena College), Ruby (Camberwell Girls Grammar) and Sam (Parade College) have shown grit and determination to return each year to Melbourne.

Sometimes they’ve needed encouragement to come back as leaving behind the warmth of Barunga, Nganmarriyanga, Ngukurr, Tiwi, and Jabiru, and being far from family and friends and the things they love most such as culture, country, family, hunting, and fishing can be difficult.

Each year seems to be busier than the last, educationally, and socially, so ensuring a good balance is important. Our alumni students travel near and far to attend their schools, catching buses, trams, boarding trains, and reacquainting and familiarizing themselves with their surrounds.

We did some Maths facts recently, and in looking back over the last 6 years, a MITS student will have taken roughly 96 flights, spent 264 hours in the air, and just between Melbourne and Darwin (return) have covered over 120,000 kilometres. That’s quite a feat!

We wish all students, particularly those in Year 12, a happy and productive year. Give it your Best!

MITS Family Newsletter 2024

Respect, Courage, Culture and Care

February · 19 Feb 2024

In this issue