Opportunity - a time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.
What can you do? What will you do? What are we called to do?
Daniel Carson from Red Earth addressed our College Assembly on Wednesday to launch our 2020 Indigenous Immersion to Arnhem Land. This experience is a new and exciting opportunity for our students to travel to traditional lands and to experience a very unique and contrasting lifestyle to that of their own.
Students in Years 9, 10 and 11 and their parents have received detailed information via email regarding this opportunity in September. This information includes our itinerary, information about Red Earth and about the lands we will be visiting and the rationale behind the program. All interested students are encouraged to attend an information session with their parents at the College on Wednesday, 4 March at 6.00pm. Any questions regarding this program should be addressed to Bronwyn Ilott at bilott@siena.vic.edu.au
Preparation for our South African immersion in March is well underway. This week, students were involved in sessions exploring the History of South Africa, including Colonisation, the Apartheid movement and the AIDS epidemic. They celebrated the strength and courage of those who stood up and resisted oppression and fought for justice, as well as examining some of the broader social and political issues of relevance to South Africans today. This knowledge helps students to make sense of some of the daily struggles of the people with whom they will stay and will help them to understand ideas about justice, privilege and opportunity.
A reminder that all students are asked to donate a pre loved book to the #giveagirlabook campaign. Donations of fiction and non fiction texts suitable for girls aged five to fourteen will be collected in House Groups in the week commencing 2 March. Books are donated to Australian Books for Children of Africa and will then be sent on to girls in need. This campaign is one of our International Women’s Day events and will enable our students help to empower African girls through education.
In addition to launching our Nude Food Campaign, discouraging single use plastic in preference for reusable containers and packaging, our Eco Warriors are rolling out 7 Ways in 7 Days – 7 Steps to Climate Consciousness.
7 Ways in 7 Days recognises that people are creatures of habit, that the global climate crisis cannot be ignored, and that transformation of consciousness can be made easier with a framework to educate and support us. Consequently, the following guide has been developed to assist us make more conscious choices and reduce the impact we are having on the planet.
Starting from Monday, 2 March, all Mondays will be Meat Free at the Canteen. More information about how reducing Meat Consumption will have a positive impact on the planet can be found at climate7.com/meat-free-monday