From the Principal Class Team

Nadioc Week Celebrations

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC week is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities, but by Australians from all walks of life. At our school, we see this week as a great opportunity to participate in a range of activities in support and recognition of our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community and their culture that has existed for over 60000 years.

This year NAIDOC Week was held on the 7-14 July, however, as this was during our school holidays we held our celebrations during Week 1 of Term 3.  During this week students completed activities and discussions with their teachers and a film screening occurred in the performing arts building sharing important aspects of Aboriginal history.   

Local Wurundjeri Elder, Perry Wandin, visited the College and shared his story with students. He also discussed with students the importance of sharing their cultural stories, leading the College in a traditional smoking ceremony. For thousands of years Aboriginal people have employed smoking ceremonies to cleanse places and people of bad spirits to promote the wellbeing of people as well as guests on Country.  Mr Wandin used a portable tarnuk (wooden dish) containing coals and wet leaves to create a gentle smoke around assembled guests. It was a special week for our College.

We formally thank and acknowledge the people of the Kulin Nations as the first inhabitants and the traditional custodians of the lands where our College is located. We pay our respects to their elders, past, present and emerging  and we recognise these lands have always been places of education.

Classroom Connection program- welcome to Birchip P-12 school

This week St Albans Secondary College will host 12 students and 2 staff from Birchip P-12 School as part of the Classroom connection program established between the two schools. The program builds inter cultural knowledge and understanding, offers great lessons in history and geography, as well as opportunity for new friendships. 

Birchip is a town 2 of 702 residents on the Mallee district some 300 km from Melbourne.

Ms Jill Donaldson has developed and excellent program for their visit including team building activities, a city tour, a dinner at a local restaurant as well as a dinner cooked by our VET Hospitality students, followed by a performance of this year’s MAC show.

Congratulations and thankyou to Jill and to staff who are supporting the program, including homestay hosts.

Programs like Classroom connection are so valuable in forging appreciation and understanding, and in strengthening communities.