PENOLA CAMPUS UPDATE

As Term 3 comes to an end, we would like to wish all of our students, families, and staff a safe, restful, and enjoyable holiday break.

There is great excitement building around our future Penola Campus. Our Maintenance Team has been working hard to prepare the site for the next stage of development, with the project currently in the tender process as we move towards the commencement of Stage One of the build.

An important milestone in this journey took place on Tuesday, 8 September, when members of our Indigenous community joined us for a special ceremony to honour the history of the land and the generations of people who have cared for it. We were privileged to participate in this meaningful event, led by proud Wamba Wemba and Mutti Mutti Elder, Aunty Vicki Clarke.

The ceremony provided an opportunity to cleanse and bless the site before construction begins, acknowledging the land, its spirit, and the many stories it holds. It was a powerful way to recognise the deep cultural significance of the area while looking forward to the future of learning and community that our new campus will provide.

Students were actively involved throughout the ceremony. They reflected on their own connections to the land by drawing symbols of their roots and relationships in the earth and were individually anointed with a special oil as part of the experience.

It was wonderful to gather together on the site of our future campus and share in this significant moment. The occasion marked the beginning of an exciting new chapter for our school, and we look forward to sharing further updates as the project progresses.

Below are some reflections from our students about this memorable experience.

Student Reflections

Mackenzie - Year 10 Student

Last Tuesday we went to the area where our new school is going to be built and took part in a smoking ceremony. The ceremony was a special way of welcoming and connecting us to the land and recognising the Traditional Custodians of the land. It was a meaningful experience that helped us learn more about Indigenous culture and the importance of respecting the Country. It consisted of drawing our tribes and connecting them to the land we are on, we stood in a circle and had oil put on us to bless us.

Matilda - Year 7 Student

On the morning of September 8th Aboriginal students and a few teachers went to the soon to be Penola campus for a Welcome to Country ceremony.

A welcome to country is a ceremony performed by a traditional owner and is used to greet, bless and welcome people to different tribe's land. It is something that has happened for thousands of years and traditionally would be one tribe welcoming another to country.

The person who did the ceremony was Aunty Vicki Clarke, she talked about how different things were thousands of years ago.

We were asked to draw a line to Wamba Wemba and call out our connections to the land. I am a Wamba Wemba, Wadi Wadi and Dja Dja Wurrung.

Following, we had a special oil made from melted down animal fat and essential oils, applied to our faces and ears and shoulders so that we speak no evil and were healthy.

Nella Sharp

Head of Campus