Excursions & Immersions

KEM First Nations Immersion - student reflections

Last week a group of students from Years 8 and 9 had the honour of representing our school at the Kildare Ministries Indigenous Immersion Camp. I was one of the students that was able to go on the camp and I have to say that it was an incredibly thought-provoking experience that absolutely opened my eyes and mind to Australia's history.  

Our group of nine students (Eve Ferris, Daniel Adriaans, Elijah Beriman, Addyson Beriman, Maggie Oliver, Isobella Keillor, Mikayla Knuckey, Blade Watson and myself) arrived at Billabong Ranch Monday night welcomed by students from Sydney, Geelong, Adelaide and Melbourne. On the first night we were able to meet and connect with each other during a night time liturgy before watching ‘In My Blood It Runs’ - a documentary about a 10-year-old Aboriginal boy that taught us about the injustices and discrimination Indigenous people experience on a daily basis. 

On the second day we woke up early and got on a bus to Barmah Forest, where we were then led through a nature walk. We were taught about the history of the area and were shown many Indigenous items including the many different types of boomerangs and possum skin art. After this, we brought the other students to our school where we took them to our Chapel and Hall and learned about the history of the Elder Portraits as well as the Living Justice Living Peace Portraits before participating in a meditation and interactive art activity with Ms Ryan, the artist who painted these amazing portraits. That evening we went back to camp and were taught how to weave baskets and had a discussion with Aunty Donna and Aunty Denise Morgan about their childhoods. I can speak on behalf of everyone of the students that were on the camp when I say this talk was captivating - it taught us so much and really showed us how hard it was growing up Indigenous not that long ago. 

On the final day we traveled into Echuca and went to the Port of Echuca Discovery Centre where we learnt about Echuca's history and participated in another meditation focused on taking in our surroundings and just being peaceful. We then said our goodbyes to the friends we made on camp before returning back to school to reflect on the experience.

Overall this experience is not one we will soon forget, it taught us so much about family, culture and the land. We are so grateful we were given the opportunity to participate and learn. 

Ella Reyne - Yr 9

In this camp we learnt many things including to respect your elders and how we

 wouldn’t know the things we know now without our elders. We also learnt how important it is to look after our whole society, including Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders. Over the entire camp we learnt lots about our history and can’t wait to share with our families, peers and the future generations because as a wise Aboriginal woman said ‘we don’t talk about the past in past tense, instead, we talk about it as the future'. 

Isobella Keillor  - Yr 8

My personal experience at the Kildare Ministries Immersion Camp was a positive one. I spent three days at Billabong Ranch with schools from all over the country over our shared love of social justice and inclusivity. On day one we got to know everybody and the camp's local cat 'Summer'. Tuesday morning we went to Barmah Forest and learned from Hilda, a local park ranger and Aboriginal elder, about the history of the forest. She told us about her experiences and about the historical sites of the local Aboriginal tribes. Later that night we chatted with Aunty Denise and Aunty Donna about their real life experiences with racism, and assimilation. I remember Aunty Denise sharing with us a story of her school life and how she used to sneak into a different classroom just to look at the letters on the board. Overall I truly enjoyed my time at the camp and learned a lot about the vast and culturally diverse history of Australia and Indigenous people. 

Maggie Oliver  - Yr 8

Year 10 Religion - Community Service

Our Year 10 RE students have been out and about this term, volunteering in the community and making a positive contribution through their servant leadership.

The community service program is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn valuable life skills, as well as interact with community members from different walks of life.

As part of their community service, students not only acquire knowledge and skills, but also gain a greater understanding and appreciation of what it means to be an active member in their community and how they can influence positive societal impact.

We would like to thank all participating organisations and schools for hosting our students and for allowing them to have this important opportunity. 

Below is a small collection of photographs from some of the venues we have worked with recently, including Bupa, Echuca Neighbourhood House and St Mary’s Primary School.

Congratulations to our participating students for their hard work and for representing our College in such a positive manner.

Bupa

Echuca Neighbourhood House

St Mary's Primary School

Sandhurst Justice Matters Camp

Last week four of our students attended the Sandhurst Justice Matters camp in Beechworth.

65 students from 12 schools in the Sandhurst network took part in the three-day event. Our students, Evie, Isabella, Georgia and Addison made a number of friends and learnt about current social justice issues impacting Australia and the world including:

• Sustainability
• Modern slavery
• Refugees
• Indigenous Australia
• Climate change

They will be working with our social justice team throughout this year to implement some of the strategies learned at the camp.