Faith, Community & Culture

Cultural Connections Cuppa

We all have culture! Culture is the lifeblood of a vibrant society, expressed in the many ways we tell our stories, celebrate, remember the past, entertain ourselves, and imagine the future. Our creative expression helps define who we are and helps us see the world through the eyes of others.    www.ontario.ca

As part of our ongoing commitment to cultural awareness and safety, St John's together with John Paul College, hosted our first Cultural Connections morning tea on Wednesday.    Although it was a small group who gathered the depth of culture and shared story was immense.   The conversation flowed freely and there was much laughter and joy as we discovered similarities and differences within our own school community...and beyond.  Educational experiences from across the globe were shared, which opened discussion and ideas for our St John's community as we connect (or reconnect) with each other.  Suggestions were made by the parents as to how and when to host these morning teas as we understand that swimming lessons, work, kinder drop-offs and so on don't always allow people to attend.  We will aim to host an afternoon tea and also vary the days of the week these are held on.  Thank you to those who attended the morning tea, I feel extremely blessed having witnessed the strength in your stories.  To those of you who couldn't make it, we hope to see you next term.  Have a chat with those who attended and if you aren't already, follow stj0hnz on Instagram.   

First Holy Communion

Congratulations to our students who received the sacrament of Holy Communion for the first time on Sunday.  The school community encourage you to continue to be living sacraments filled with the grace of God.  May you always be a witness to Jesus and reflect the life he lived to whomever you meet.   

NAIDOC week: Sunday, July 2 -9

NAIDOC week falls during our school holiday period however our teachers are looking at ways to continually immerse students in our First Nations culture.  Our staff encourage students to learn and understand the history of Australia's indigenous people.  Opportunities are also provided for deep reflection and healing actions needed within our country for true reconciliation to take place.  'For our Elders' is the theme for this year's NAIDOC week.  We take this opportunity to discover the importance of our indigenous elders and also the elders in our own communities - personal and communal.  Throughout NAIDOC week we encourage you to talk with your child/ren about the significance of grandparents, aunties, uncles, cousins - those who hold your family history and connection to time and place.  Please read the following excerpt taken from the NAIDOC website for further information about the theme.

Across every generation, our Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and hold a prominent place in our communities and families.  They are cultural knowledge holders, trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, leaders, hard workers and our loved ones.  Our loved ones who pick us up in our low moments and celebrate us in our high ones. Who cook us a feed to comfort us and pull us into line, when we need them too.   They guide our generations and pave the way for us to take the paths we can take today. Guidance, not only through generations of advocacy and activism, but in everyday life and how to place ourselves in the world.  

We draw strength from their knowledge and experience, in everything from land management, cultural knowledge to justice and human rights. Across multiple sectors like health, education, the arts, politics and everything in between, they have set the many courses we follow.  The struggles of our Elders help to move us forward today. The equality we continue to fight for is found in their fight. Their tenacity and strength has carried the survival of our people. 

It is their influence and through their learnings that we must ensure that when it comes to future decision making for our people, there is nothing about us - without us. 

We pay our respects to the Elders we’ve lost and to those who continue fighting for us across all our Nations and we pay homage to them.  In 2023, how will you celebrate For Our Elders?  https://www.naidoc.org.au/awards/current-theme