Welcome back
Before we outline the details around Off Campus Learning and the week and term ahead, I want to acknowledge that this week is NAIDOC Week. Thank you to our Year 4 students for your wonderful artwork.
NAIDOC Week provides an opportunity for all Australians to come together to celebrate the rich history, diverse cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as one of the oldest continuing cultures on the planet. The NAIDOC 2021 theme ‘Heal Country, Heal our Nation’ calls for all of us to continue to seek greater protections for our lands, our waters, our sacred sites and our cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration, and destruction. For Aboriginal Australians ‘Country’ is more than a place – it is inherent to their identity and is spoken about like a person - sustaining every aspect of life - spiritually, physically, emotionally, socially, and culturally.
Healing Country also means that we work towards resolving many of the outstanding injustices which impact the lives of Aboriginal people. After 250 years, all children and our future generations certainly deserve better. It is unfortunate that the current COVID lockdown has overshadowed NAIDOC Week. Yet in some ways, the themes and responses are very similar, in that we are reminded that the wellbeing and safety (physical and emotional) of others is our shared responsibility.
Philosopher and peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh teaches:
“Understanding leads to compassion, and compassion leads to love. If your goal at all in life is to be a better lover of other humans, you must understand them as best as you can.”
