National Reconciliation Week 2021

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is held each year from May 27 to June 3 and is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how we can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

St Pius X College in the tradition of Edmund Rice is an inclusive community, accepting and welcoming, fostering right relationships and committed to the common good. We ask our young men to be ambassadors of reconciliation and to set the standard for other Australians in their willingness to work towards a more unified nation. An example of this is that College representatives, from sporting teams to immersion and international tours, wear a dedicated jersey or shirt embossed with specifically designed aboriginal artwork that depicts the St Pius X College values and community.

St Pius X College marked Reconciliation Week with a ceremony that was both educational and entertaining for all present. As an EREA school, we are called to be ambassadors for Reconciliation, ready to work for improved relationships between Aboriginal and Non-Aboriginal Australians. It is most imperative that we acknowledge the wrong doings of the past, where treatment of Aboriginal Australians was marked by prejudice and discrimination. Our efforts today are to build a culture of mutual respect and understanding – a culture that will only come about by having an informed generation, ready to work towards a better future. Therefore to achieve this end, the College invited guests Mr Phillip Good and dancers from The Glen Centre on the Central Coast to share their experiences and provide experiences designed to educate.

The students heard about the meaning behind an acknowledgement of country and about how “countries” of the past would share land, resources and knowledge. The Glen Centre dancers explained how through dance ideas and information of creation were passed down to younger generations.

The rich learning experience included opportunities for students and our Acting Principal Mr Mark Casey to participate in dance and to be ochred as a sign of willingness to listen and respect.

We thank our guests for their input and look forward to our continued relationship with The Glen Centre, especially for our Year 10 Immersion Program in November where we hope to send students to visit and participate in such a positive environment.

St Pius X College is committed to Indigenous Reconciliation and works for unity and solidarity with Indigenous people.