We are in the midst of celebrating National Reconciliation Week. As we strive for Reconciliation with Aboriginal people, may we remember that May 27 and June 3 are important dates in Australia’s history. May 27 marks the anniversary of the 1967 referendum when Australians voted to remove clauses in the Australian Constitution that discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. June 3 marks the historic 1992 Mabo decision in which the High Court of Australia recognised native title - recognition that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights over their land did survive British colonisation. We acknowledge that we gather each day on the land of the Wurundjeri people and pay our respects to their elders both past and present, for they hold the memories, the culture and the wisdom upon which our nation’s future will be built. This year's theme, "In This Together" reminds us that we all play an important role in shaping Australia’s journey towards a more just, equitable and reconciled nation.
At St John’s we are committed to developing an awareness of the Aboriginal culture and seek to journey towards reconciliation. For our school community, Reconciliation with Aboriginal peoples means - spiritual awareness, cultural recognition and awareness as well as participating in practical Reconciliation and justice initiatives and activities. An important step in this process was to participate in the FIRE (Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education) Carrier program. Over the last few weeks our FIRE Carrier student leaders have met several times to plan a range of activities to celebrate Australia's First People and raise awareness of justice issues that effect them.
Thank you for your generous support of the Opening the Doors Foundation, allowing Aboriginal children to access positive education experiences. It was wonderful to see everyone dressed in red, yellow and black clothes on Friday. Approximately $140 was donated.
Members of our school community have been contributing to an online notice board about what reconciliation means to them. We have found it to be an effective tool to share our ideas and learn from one another. If you would like to contribute your thoughts about Reconciliation, please click on the link below. We would love to learn from you also.
https://padlet.com/moshannassy/8mh749lbk7pnh48r
Here is a link to our Reconciliation Week video which is on the front page of our Learning from Home Site. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep-cyGL8WMI
VIRTUAL INDIGENOUS FILM FESTIVAL
FANFORCE TV is excited to showcase a variety of powerful indigenous Australian films during National Reconciliation Week.
Indigenous Film Festival Trailer : https://www.fanforcetv.com/programs/iffpromo