Catholic Identity and Mission

Joel Grace (Year 7 – Jericho) was a member of the young indigenous group invited to do a Welcome to Country at the Australian Boomers v China Men’s Basketball Friendly during the first week of the holidays, at John Cain Arena in Melbourne. Not only was Joel welcomed by Paddy Mills and had a photo opportunity with the Australian champion, but he was also invited on to the court during half-time to play Two Ball Knockout with the other indigenous youth participants. This was the last game the Boomers played before heading to Paris for the Olympics.

“It was an amazing experience. It was very culturally connecting.” – Joel

 Joel is a proud Yorta Yorta man who loves playing basketball.

NAIDOC Week 2024

To celebrate NAIDOC week, some of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and their families spent the evening enjoying the Gumbuya Dreaming exhibition at Gumbuya World Theme Park.

We have a strong cohort of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who are encouraged to participate in College events through presenting the Acknowledgment to Country at whole College events. Students also meet once per term to build identity and community amongst themselves and our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff members. 

DOSCEL have recently introduced the FIRE Carrier Program to our Diocese. FIRE stands for Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education, to promote respect and knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture within our community. Information will be shared with students, and we envisage our FIRE Carrier program will become an important and highly sought after program for student involvement – for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people alike. Work is taking place on this behind the scenes, and I look forward to sharing more with you as it develops.

Retreats and Reflection Days

In Term 3 we will be holding the Year 8 Reflection Days and the Year 11 Retreat, both which will be facilitated by the Passionist Retreat Team, and the Year 9 Reflection Days which will be run by the Gen Bryant Retreat Team.

Retreats and Reflection days are a really important component of a Catholic Education. They provide time outside the classroom to connect with their peers to spend time reflecting and to spend time in prayer. Unfortunately, there can be a misconception that we sit around, holding hands and singing Kumbaya. Other concerns are that a student might be excluded because they are not “Catholic enough”, or that they might not enjoy themselves. These misconceptions can lead to parents allowing their child to stay at home and not enjoy these experiences. This is the wrong response.

Not only are Retreats and Reflection Days compulsory school events – they are really fun and often provide some of the most memorable and friendship building experiences of our young peoples lives. I am a looong time out of school as a student and my favourite memories are still those that I experienced on my Year 11 and Year 12 Retreats. Myself and my friends often reflect that they are also the basis for how strong and enduring our friendships have been.

So please, do your children a favour – and if they happen to mention that they don’t want to participate in their Retreat or Reflection Day, let them know that they will have a great day and if they persist, let them know that not attending it is not an option. They will thank you for it in the end.

Mrs Jacinta Johnston

Deputy Principal: Catholic Identity and Mission