Last week the College community celebrated and acknowledged National Reconciliation Week (NRW) with a number of activities organised by our Student Leaders and Faith Team. An acknowledgement of NRW and the need for our community to discuss the place of the Voice vote is crucial.
As a country, we are a people who need to seek healing, understanding and to develop a deeper awareness of our cultural and historical narrative and its impact on all people – past, present and future. It has been argued that Australia will become more racially inclusive and tolerant, when we have the maturity to acknowledge the wrongs of the past. As a society we must recognise the injustice and disrespect experienced by our First Nations people.
Our Indigenous students gathered for lunch on Friday with representatives from BADAC. I was impressed to see our students listen to one another and to make suggestions and to use their voice to empower others. Our Indigenous students are excited to work with one of our primary schools to raise Aboriginal cultural awareness.
Our students gathered in the Damascus Event Centre and were in deep conversation with Chris Saunders, a proud Gunditjamara man and alumni of St Patrick’s College. I was so impressed by our student’s desire to seek understanding, listen with an open ear and a willingness to understand without judgment. Our students thoughtfully reflected on their experiences here at the College, and how we too, need to be more open to the other. Students spoke of their desire to challenge and to be the voice for injustice and to challenge prejudice and racism. Our students need the skills to call out any form of racism or injustice. At Damascus we continue to empower our young people to be the agents of social change through voice and participation in social justice activities.
On Monday morning the College reconvened the Child Safety Working Team facilitated by Simon Davies from Safegurading Services. The team is made up of the following parent representatives: Jodie Downey, Anni Jennings, Scott Angove and Lucy O’Beirne, student representatives: Haileigh Buttigieg, Billy Gravell, Luke Eddy and Ryan McNaulty and staff representatives Hannah Keating, Andy Robertson, Chris Grant, Katrina McGearey, Stacey Myers, Emma Baldwin and Lynda Calistro. I am grateful for all who generously gave of their time and willingness to reflect and challenge our practice. Our purpose was to explore the 11 Child Safe Standards and to critically assess how we have embedded these into our community. I was in awe of our students ability to speak their truth and to respectfully demonstrate how we can improve the child safety culture within our co-educational learning community. Its affirming to see all members of our community engage in an open and trusting partnership. In the afternoon, our staff further explored critical aspects of new standards.
The next couple of weeks are critical in the learning and teaching cycle and l urge our families to support our students during this busy and challenging time. Now is a poignant time to revisit the social and emotional learning presented and reinforced at the College. We need to model perseverance, grit and resilience.
Thank you to parents who attended the recent subject teacher interviews, we appreciate your support. This is an ongoing dialogue about learning and our partnership about challenging all learners to be their best. We would love to hear your feedback. Please click this link to access a short survey on how we can continue to improve this important partnership into the future.
This week we welcome Russel Dyer who will teach in Science and eSTEM, Russel has worked in a number of secondary colleges in Melbourne and we look forward to his contribution and challenge to our community.
With every blessing
Steven Mifsud