From the Principal

As I sit and write this report, I am in awe of the beauty as I look out to the magnificent sunrise that presents itself each morning.  The photo above may not do this justice, however, I can assure you, we are blessed. We can all be grateful for the past two weeks, as 70 Year 9 students and 14 staff members, have travelled the Northern Territory and worked with Indigenous communities.

There is no doubt that Australia is a large place.  Diversity surrounds us, whether it be in the city, rural towns or in this case, the outback communities of the Northern Territory. We are a diverse country and this is something we should embrace and be proud of.  

Our students will return with many stories.  While there will be stories of what sights students saw and what funny things happened in their group, we know they will always have stories about what they did in the communities and classroom and how the students from these communities are so full of life.  Leaving communities after ten days has been hard for many and there were certainly some tears welling  as goodbyes were said.

Travelling from community to community has been a wonderful experience and a great opportunity to witness our students in a different environment.  The group leaders have seen everything, culinary skills that range from learning how to boil water to those students who have been able to whip up three-course meals without any assistance.  Most importantly, our staff have witnessed students shine in areas they would have never imagined. And it is of this that we must take particular note. Place students in situations where they can grow and sit back and enjoy the ride.  It will look different for everyone however at the heart of it, it is all about growth.

All these experiences would not have been possible without the sacrifice of so many people.  In particular, I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of our staff who accompanied the students on this immersion.  The care and responsibility that they displayed each and every day allowed for such a great experience for our students. I must also thank their families back home who have made adjustments and sacrifices to their lives over the past fortnight.   I need to also thank our wonderful staff back at school who have stepped up to ensure everything has run as normal.  What a great team we have at St Augustine’s!!!!

I look forward to returning to St Augustine’s next week (even if the weather is not quite as nice as up here!).

Brayden Stone

Principal