Vinnies Winter Sleepout

A number of our students are participating in the Vinnies Winter Sleepout on Friday 28 July. The students and staff will come together in solidarity and give up one night in a warm, comfortable bed to help raise funds and awareness about homelessness and disadvantage in our very own back yard.

We invite you to support our fundraising efforts, which will assist Vinnies in providing support for those in our community who need it the most. Every little bit helps, see link below.

Indigenous Immersion

Last week, nine Kilbreda students and ten St Bede’s students, together with staff, headed to ‘Saltbush’ (a property of the Presentation Sisters) in Balnarring for three days for an Indigenous Immersion. Led by Adam Magennis, a local Bunurong elder, the students participated in a number of cultural experiences that enhanced their understanding of the importance of connection to country.

The experience commenced with a Welcome to Country Smoking Ceremony carried out on Balnarring Beach. Students became aware of the significance of this ceremony and the use of certain plants/trees unique to Bunurong.

The rest of the day included a guided walk through the foreshore area, where students and staff sampled various bush (super) foods and medicines. This was followed by an informative session on Aboriginal stone tool making and the various rocks used for different purposes. The day was topped off by an evening viewing of “In My Blood It Runs”, a moving documentary on a young, strong willed Aboriginal boy in Alice Springs navigating his way in a white society whilst drawn to his Aboriginal culture.

Thursday was predominantly spent at the Shoreham Foreshore where Adam is the artist-in-residence. Adam’s studio was the base for students to create cultural pieces of art. Many of the resources were recycled. Native bird feathers and vegetation were also used to great effect. At Shoreham, students were also involved in the removal of weeds and the re-vegetation of the foreshore with native plants.

On the final morning, everyone was delighted to have Aunty Carla visit and run a cooking class making traditional damper with Indigenous herbs. These were loaded up with a big breakfast of bacon and eggs!

Finally, on the way home, we stopped at a midden site in Mt Martha. These are important archaeological sites all along the peninsula. They show the remnants of big “cook ups” by local Aboriginals over the centuries. It is a great way to learn about the traditions and the food sources enjoyed by the Bunurong people.

Student Reflection

‘The Indigenous Immersion at Balnarring was an exciting and engaging experience, which was both educational and fun. We learnt many interesting things about Aboriginal culture, formed new connections and were lucky enough to be immersed in the beautiful environment of Balnarring. Overall, we all had an amazing time and created many new memories.’

Taylah Bell
Year 10

Building Bridges

This week the venue for our Building Bridges through Interfaith Dialogue program was Nazareth College in Noble Park North. Nazareth College is a Catholic co-educational school with approximately 800 students.

Once again, our Year 11 students engaged in discussion with students from schools of various religious backgrounds and were guided by the passionate young leaders that are trained by ‘Wellsprings’ in Ashburton. Social connections continue to be made as our students embrace the opportunity to learn and engage with others outside our area and culture.

Kildare Ministries Excursion

One of the most meaningful opportunities I have been able to experience through my first semester of high school was being able to travel to Kildare Ministries with Mrs Moloney and Ms Smyth to visit and learn about the stories of remarkable refugees during Refugee Week. This opportunity was truly inspiring and throughout the presentation and speaking to the people present, I was left feeling heart warmed by the individuals who had the courage to present and speak about their life experiences and life changing journeys.

Hearing about the different and unique stories that the refugees shared with us all was always a learning curve for me. I learnt about the real journey it takes as a refugee, how much persistence it takes to travel from country to country over 14 days on a boat and the sadness endured when being forced to leave family and sleep on the floor of an abandoned restaurant. I was particularly intrigued by the story of a refugee, named Hailee. He detailed his experience coming to Australia with his swim team as he was an educator in his homeland at the time. He explained the trouble he went through when his friends got arrested and his decision to stay in Australia. Like everyone else he said he has a dream “to one day teach people like me”.

In his own way he taught me the value of believing in equality and justice for all, because everyone deserves love and success in their life! I am so grateful to have been chosen to participate in this event and I truly hope other students and people get a chance to learn about the changes in our world, too.   

Georgia Athanasiadis
Year 7

BASP Winter Food Drive

Thank you to everyone who contributed food and household items to our annual BASP Winter Food Drive. Bags were overflowing with essentials and were warmly received at the Kildare Centre. Special mention to Year 7, Room 75 who were very generous, filling many bags. Thank you to Sabir from maintenance for delivering all the donations.

Trish Moloney
Living Justice Leader