NAIDOC Week
NAIDOC week is a celebration of the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
This year, the Year 10 Student Leadership Team (SLTs) were honoured to be able to coordinate activities to mark this occasion with the support of Staff to provide the College with an exciting week of activities.
Get up! Stand up! Show up!
The theme of this year’s NAIDOC Week was a call to be more than just a bystander, to be a force for change, and to participate in events that affect us. Throughout Week 5 (7-11 November), there was a plethora of activities, striving to celebrate our indigenous peoples for our students and staff across both campuses.
K-12 College Staff had the opportunity to share with Elder Sandra Harben in a Smoking Ceremony as part of their morning staff prayer. This was a great experience that helped commence the day with energy and a renewal of spirit, while learning more about the healing elements of a Smoking Ceremony and the indigenous culture and land we live on.
Primary Activities
Our Primary students and staff had a wonderful week on the Primary Avus celebrating NAIDOC Week.
Our students did hand-print artwork on Monday, and listened to the story ‘My Home, My Heart’ by Adam Briggs on Tuesday.
On Wednesday the Moorditj Mob from Wesley College performed for the whole College in the Secondary Gym and Sandra Collard performed a Welcome to Country and told us a Dreaming Story. Following the assembly, Year 10 students Thalia and Emily visited the Primary Avus to teach students the Welcome Song - ‘Wandju Wandju’.
On Thursday students learnt about a Yarning Circle and on Friday, after the Remembrance Day Assembly, students learnt about our soldiers, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander soldiers, that fought in World Wars I and II.
NAIDOC Week was a very special time for our students celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
Secondary Activities
From combining our Catholic faith with our deep roots in indigenous culture, students were called to create a prayer based on NAIDOC Week, with the guidance of the Year 10 SLTs.
The Secondary Library was enlightened by indigenous music selected by the students, highlighting the importance of indigenous culture, and how we are to reflect upon our Australian history.
Av Christi College, acknowledges and mourns the pain and suffering of the indigenous peoples, and seeks to act on this in its school environment. The introduction of the Healing Tree at the Secondary Avus by the Year 10 SLTs, gave students the opportunity to write a message of healing and attach it to the tree.
Secondary students also participated in the ‘Deadly Door’ challenge. With the Deadly meaning “Good or Awesome” in Aboriginal slang, the decoration of our doors in indigenous artistry and language challenged students to reflect upon and celebrate the culture and create a unique door design.
The NAIDOC Week Assembly on Wednesday was popular with Secondary and Primary students alike, with the following feedback provided by one of our Secondary students, “I was fortunate enough to get a front row seat to the NAIDOC Week performance. I highly admire the confidence and the pride that the Moorditj Mob (boys) from Wesley College exuded through their dance, and the Dreamtime stories that were shared. I loved how it was interactive, as we all got to learn a bit of the beautiful Nyoongar language. We were all so lucky to revel in this experience provided to us by the school.”
NAIDOC Week was a great success with the College Community embracing the indigenous cultures in a way that made us all proud.
We are very grateful for the hard work and organisation by staff and students to make this a success.
Declan Kartadinata (Year 10), Mrs Emily Wayne (Primary Teacher) and Ms Gemma Wooltorton (Deputy Principal Ministry).
