Catholic Identity

FIRE Carrier Excursion

Our FIRE Carriers recently set off for an amazing adventure at the Barmah Forest! They were greeted by Hilda from Parks Victoria, who shared fascinating stories and traditions about the forest and its Indigenous history. Here are some exciting things they discovered:

At Barmah, they learned how tribes used to travel far and wide to trade items, like weapons, which could also be used as digging tools. We were wowed by the fact that there are three types of turtles in the area! The turtles are like little “health check-ups” for the environment—scientists can tell if the forest is doing well by looking at the turtles’ eyes, weight, and colour.

Hilda also taught us about totems: each tribe has a totem animal they protect. This tradition keeps those animals safe from harm. Our students were amazed by the creativity of Aboriginal people, like how they started using glass in spear tips when it became available and always made sure not to overuse resources, like only taking a couple of eggs from an emu’s nest and leaving the rest for others.

We saw some cool tools and weapons made from rock and other natural materials, like redgum and boxgum trees, which grow at different spots in the forest. They learned that redgum trees like to be near water, while boxgum trees prefer dry land.

Later, we visited the Barmah Education Centre in Nathalia. We watched a video about the Barmah Forest and tried to solve a giant puzzle challenge. It took us four tries, but we finally cracked it in 1 minute and 15 seconds! Afterward, we had a well-deserved ice cream by the river and waved at trucks, trying to get them to honk.

This excursion helped deepen our FIRE (Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education) Carriers' knowledge of Aboriginal traditions and customs so they can continue to lead education and reconciliation within our community. We’re so proud of their journey and look forward to more learning adventures ahead!

Here is the forth instalment on Graduate Outcomes broken down:

Here is the third instalment on Graduate Outcomes broken down:

Here is the second instalment on Graduate Outcomes broken down:

This is the installment from last newsletter:

Seven Catholic Social Teaching Principles

Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is rooted in Scripture, formed by the wisdom of Church leaders, and influenced by grassroots movements. It is our moral compass, guiding us on how to live out our faith in the world.

The CST principles which inspire our work are:

• Human Dignity
• Common Good
• Solidarity
• Subsidiarity
• Preferred Option for the Poor
• Care for Creation
• Participation

Our faith calls us to love God and to love our neighbours in every situation, especially our sisters and brothers living in poverty. Following in the footsteps of Christ, we hope to make present in our unjust and broken world, the justice, love and peace of God.