Our Reconciliation Week Assembly began with Mr Jake Ricks and two Year 12 students, Yagan Joshi and Luke Ninyett playing the didgeridoo as we gathered. This set the scene beautifully for Mr Tyler Senge, one of our First Nations Liaison Officers, to explain the National Reconciliation Week journey and this year’s theme, ‘All In’. ‘All In’ reminds us that reconciliation is not a spectator sport and requires all Australians to step away from the sidelines and take action to make change. Mr Ricks then offered a personal and profound reflection of his reconciliation experience at Chisholm. He asked us to consider “What role are you playing in supporting and learning from First Nations Peoples? If that role is large, this may be a week of celebration. If your role is not as significant but a role nonetheless, this week can be about learning what more can be done. If you find yourself answering that question with “I have no role”, I ask… why? Reconciliation Week at Chisholm is more than just lighting a fire at the entrance gates. It is about gathering people to Yarn, to have conversation, to learn and understand what this week may mean for our First Nation students and staff.”
We also celebrated the sporting and cultural achievements of many of our students, by acknowledging the time and efforts of our ACC Cross Country Team and College Play Cast and Crew. Our Senior Captains, Chiara Del Marco and James Nairn, along with Junior Captains, Natasha Juszkiewicz and Raoul Vecchio, presented the squad. We wish them every success at the ACC Cross Country Carnival next week and hope the long hours training reap rewards on the podium. Our College Play, ‘The Tempest’, cast and crew were introduced by Tilly Richards-Scully, Eleni Chapman, Thomas Bright and Ruby Legget, with Jayden Pham recognising the staff who made the Play possible. We appreciate the commitment to their craft and enthusiasm with which they brought Shakespeare to life in an interactive style.
Our Social Justice Prefect and Assistant Prefect reminded our community to give generously to the upcoming LifeLink Day and Winter Appeal, with food and warm items as advertised by the Committee.
This weekend we farewell nine of our First Nations students and six staff who travel to Broome and Beagle Bay to continue to build cultural knowledge and understanding through the City-Country Partnership Programme. They will learn from Elders and share their stories on return, and we look forward to those yarning circle conversations that help us grow together and create positive change for reconciliation, we are All In.
Ms Taniya Rodrigues
Deputy Principal – Wellbeing
