National Apology Day

This Saturday 13th February, Australia commemorates the 13th anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations. In 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd presented this apology in the Australian Parliament which was a momentous occasion of recognition and reconciliation in our nation's history. It was a moment of solidarity and empathy that could be shared by everybody who heard it.

National Apology Day is a day to remember and pray for the children who were taken away from their families and homes and commit to right the wrongs of past injustices and build a bridge of respect between all people.

As a Catholic school we are committed to walking together with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sisters and brothers in a spirit of reconciliation. One way of expressing this commitment is to acknowledge this apology in our school. Teachers and students will acknowledge this momentous occasion in classrooms. The last two years we were very fortunate to be able to work with Uncle Kev through art and celebration of culture with our Aboriginal families. We look forward to having those finishing touches completed so we can display the amazing artwork in our school playground.

As I alluded to in our last newsletter we are changing the format of our newsletter with the intention to make it a more informative vehicle of school priorities, improvement journey, important information and student voice and celebration. We look forward to receiving feedback on the new format and would love to hear the positives as well as any suggestions for improvement.

God Bless

Mrs Belinda Hughes - Principal