NAIDOC Week, which stands for National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee, happens every July and celebrates the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Better late than never, after a very busy term, we were finally able to celebrate in Week 6!  After a bleak and damp week of weather, the sun graced us with its presence on Friday for our belated NAIDOC on the Grass event. Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Shalom students took great pride in sharing their heritage and culture with the entire school community. Attendees enjoyed a barbecue featuring tasty kangaroo sausage and crocodile, as well as a special NAIDOC cake and delicious ice cream with traditional flavors. A group of our talented young artists collaborated to create a piece of artwork with the 2024 NAIDOC theme, “Blak, Loud and Proud – Keep the Fire Burning.”  The colours in the artwork represented fire, the Shalom community, the grass and the sea, with everyone encouraged to leave a fingerprint on it, to commemorate our special day. Students also crafted their own unique keyrings using colored raffia grass, symbolizing the colors of both the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. 

A big thank you to our enthusiastic and energetic special guests, that were in to play the didgeridoo, who set the fun vibe for both the Indigenous and non-Indigenous boys of Shalom College to ‘shake-a’leg’. Our First Nations girls also put on a beautiful performance, with a special ‘Welcome Dance.’

Thank you to everyone, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, involved with making this a fun and memorable day for our Shalom community.