Issue 17 | 2021 | SJC Newsletter

Lake Mungo Immersion

St Joseph’s College is offering an exciting opportunity for our 2022 Year 10 and Year 11 students. Due to the pandemic, all of our immersions and camps have been put on the hold for the past two years. The current Year 9 and Year 10 students have not had the opportunity to participate in any of our First Nation immersions, camps, or renewals. We feel that 2022 will allow greater freedom to travel interstate and therefore we have partnered with Red Earth to offer Mt Sion students an immersion to Lake Mungo. This will occur in the last week of Term 2 next year (20 – 25 June) and cost $1950 per student.

Daniel Carson from Red Earth spoke to our Year 10 students yesterday and to our Year 9 students this morning. He provided the students with information about the immersion. During the 5 nights away students will:

• Stay on Country with Traditional Owners and their families
• Hear dreamtime stories around the campfire under a blanket of stars
• Hike through the National Park with the Mungo Rangers and see the fossil record come to life in the lake
• Discover the historical, cultural and spiritual significance of Lake Mungo through ancient and modern Indigenous perspectives
• Explore the stories and traditions of our First Nations Peoples - past, present and emerging.

Students were sent an email with an application form. The application form is due Friday 5 November as we plan to take between 18 -35 students. On Monday 8 November at 6:30pm we will be holding a virtual information session for the parents of interested students. A link will be sent for this session so please look out for this link in your emails.

Global Classrooms Partners Program

Last Friday Mary Malone and I engaged in a virtual conversation with Thane from Brother Rice High in Detroit, Michigan. We were conversing because both schools are part of The Global Classroom Partners Program, which links young people from around the world to learn from, with, and about each other, while exploring some of the world’s most pressing issues.

Early in November, a group of our student leaders will have a video conference with students from Brother Rice High. Initially, the 30-minute zoom will have students introduce themselves and learn about the world each other lives in. Two weeks later a second zoom call will occur, facilitated by a member from the EREA office. During this zoom students will dialog about a Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) topic such a Sport Moves the World, Black Lives Matter Globally or Faith as a Force for Good. We are really excited to be able to engage and connect students with each other who share a common interest. Stay tuned for more information!