Sea to Country Excursion

Last week our students braved a full spectrum of weather — rain, hail, strong winds and sunshine, all in one day! Despite the conditions, the trip was a tremendous success. A particularly meaningful moment was when we were welcomed to Country by Ryan, which was so special for the children and our community.

As part of that Welcome, Ryan led a smoking ceremony. These ceremonies are a First Nations practice where native plants are smouldered to produce smoke, which is believed to cleanse people and places of negative energy and connect us to Country and our ancestors. The smoke invites the spirits of ancestors — who are believed to rest within the land and trees — to return and walk among the people once more. Through this ceremony, the students gained a deeper understanding of how Indigenous cultures have long honoured Country, ancestors and the natural world.

During the excursion, students also had the opportunity to make kelp baskets, participate in a scavenger hunt, and explore the shore and bush environments. It was a beautiful day of learning, laughter, and resilience — even if we had a few green faces on the bus ride there (a little bit of motion sickness for some!) and a few sleepy heads on the way home — including Mrs Cherry, who may have been caught “nodding off” mid-conversation!

Swimming Carnival

On Friday we held our swimming carnival and I’m pleased to say the behaviour and support of our students were outstanding. Everyone cheered each other on, showed great sportsmanship and truly embodied our school values. It was wonderful to see so much encouragement and positivity from the sidelines.

On-the-Water Program

Our on-the-water program continues to be a great success! The students are really enjoying rowing, learning new skills, and developing teamwork, coordination and water-safety awareness. There’s been plenty of laughter (and the occasional splash). A special mention must go to the students who had Ryan in their group this week — they were rowed around like they were on the River Thames! Needless to say, Ryan might be swapping groups next week…

I apologise for the lack of photos — it’s been such a hands-on, fast-paced few weeks that it’s been tricky to stop in the moment and capture it all.