Year 10

Arnhem Land Reflection

During this week’s Yr 10-12 Student Led Assembly, Millie Winton (Yr 10) and Sholto Mirrlees-Black (Yr 11) enthralled us with their overview of the school trip to Arnhem Land during the Easter holidays. Their journey to this culturally rich region in the Northern Territory of Australia, home to the Yolngu people, provided students with an extraordinary educational experience. The trip cemented a deep understanding of the interconnection between land, culture, and the Yolngu people, leaving a lasting impact on their perspectives.

Speech:

A few weeks ago, 16 Redlands students flew up to the Northern Territory to meet, stay with, learn from, and connect to Yolŋu first nations people on Gumatj country. Some of you may know this place as ‘North-East Arnhem Land’, named by Mr Dutch explorer Arnhem. Some of you may know about its hot humid climate, its picturesque beaches, its wild-life, or its exotic red sand. 

But this trip, “the Arnhem-land trip”, was more than just a fun get-away beach-side fishing holiday. 

Hi, ŋarra yäku sholto

Ŋarra yäku Millie, and we wanted to share some of the exciting, scary, amazing, impactful, and life-changing experiences that we were so lucky to have.  

One of the coolest moments from the trip for me was seeing a bäru, crocodile, walk onto the beach. 

We were all listening to one of the elders, Djalinda, tell us the stories of the stars.

Personally, I was laying on my back just taking in the beautiful sky, you can see the milky way up there it’s pretty stunning. 

Iziah, one of the little kids, goes “bäru!” – That’s not really something you wanna hear when you’re laying on the beach almost asleep so after jolting up I saw this massive croc just making its way slowly up the shore. The most amazing part of this was how calm everyone was. One of the Yolngu, Randy, just went straight up to it and fed it a fish.

But we weren’t just crocodile prey. Some of us went out to the shallow salt water spearing for crabs. Sadly, we were unsuccessful when we hunted for stingray. While the ḏirramu learnt to throw spears, the miyalk learnt how to weave with gunga the most colourful baskets. We dug for yams, we were healed, we swam in lagoons, we drove through a fifty metre stretch of flood-water, we made fires, we ventured to sacred beaches. And the Yolngu, through all this, taught us so much.

We learnt from the wise Elders, we learnt from the energetic children. Language, skills, kinship, stories. They all had so much to share. 

And they shared not only knowledge, but also all their kindness. They welcomed us as if we were family, because to them we were family. For Yolngu everyone is connected, and everyone should honour those connections. We miss them all so much. I can only attempt to be as welcoming as they all were.

I learnt that country is the foundation for our connection. We stayed 4 nights at Bawaka, where the spirit of the opulent Macassan princess Baini still lives. Bawaka, that place will stay with me forever.

Without my phone or any plan, just living freely each day, I lived in the moment, and I bonded with the country that was with me at all times. 

One of the most amazing parts of coming into this community was seeing how deeply affixed the elders were with the land around them. Watching the ladies find a yam from the tiniest root sticking up from the ground made me realise how disengaged I am from the one thing that will always be there. Friends, people, they come and go but country is something that is continuous and constant. 

My one takeaway is that country is something everyone must truly treasure. Sit outside, watch the sunrise, go on a bushwalk, however it is you connect with country, make time for it. 

So think back on the acknowledgement of country I made earlier. What does it mean to you? I think I might finally have an idea of what those words mean to me.

Nhäma yalala, see you later.

Millie Winton (Yr 10) and Sholto Mirrlees-Black (Yr 11)

Paul Dillon

This week Yr 10 were engaged in a presentation by Paul Dillon. Paul Dillon, a renowned expert in the field of drug education, shared his valuable insights and expertise with our students. His presentation aimed to educate and empower our Yr 10 students with accurate and up-to-date information about drugs, their effects, and responsible decision-making. His extensive experience in the field of drug education ensured that his presentation was engaging, age-appropriate, and tailored to the needs of our students. Paul addressed important topics such as the risks associated with drug use, strategies for harm reduction, and the importance of making informed choices. He provided evidence-based information, debunked myths, and encouraged open dialogue around drugs and related issues. Paul Dillon’s expertise in communicating with young people has made him a sought-after speaker in schools across the country.

Resources for parents:

• Teenagers, parties & tips for parents (Alcohol Think Again)
• Teenage parties: a hosting guide for parents (Raising Children Network)
• Alcohol Drinking & Teenagers (ReachOut Parents)
• Special Report: A guide to safe partying (School’s TV)

Respectful Relationships

This week, Yr 10 were engaged with the In Your Skin Respectful Relationships Day designed to promote healthy relationship skills and foster a gender transformative approach. By addressing various topics such as media analysis, porn literacy, gender and sexuality, sexual coercion, and informed consent, the workshops aimed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of these subjects. By encouraging students to actively consider their relationship values and expectations, as well as fostering a healthy and realistic sense of self and others, the program empowered students to develop healthy and respectful relationships. This approach is crucial in promoting positive attitudes and behaviors, reducing the risk of harmful behaviors such as coercion or lack of consent, and fostering a more inclusive and understanding environment for all students.

Such initiatives can have a long-lasting impact on the students’ understanding of gender, sexuality, consent, and healthy relationship dynamics, which can positively influence their interactions both now and in the future.

Resources for parents:

• Communication & Relationships: Romance Relationships (Raising Children Network)
• Sex, Consent & Teenagers (ReachOut Parents)
• Special Report: A conversation on consent (Schools TV)

NSW School Vaccination Program 2023

Parent/Carer Consent Required by Wednesday 24 May

Each year NSW Health works in partnership with schools to offer the vaccines recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) for adolescents as part of the school vaccination program.

The following vaccine is offered free to Year 10 students at school on Thursday 25 May.

• Meningococcal ACWY vaccine

The vaccination will only be provided at school if consent has been received.  To provide consent for vaccination visit online.

Please provide consent by Wednesday 24 May to register your child for the clinic. Students whose consent is not completed before this deadline are to attend the vaccination clinic catch up opportunity on Friday 24 November.

If you or your child do not have a Medicare card, consent can still be provided by requesting a paper-based consent form directly from the Year Advisor.

To help answer questions you may have regarding providing vaccination and online consent, please visit the NSW Health website.

Key Dates for Term 2

Ms Lisa Vale
Yr 10 Advisor
9968 9837
lvale@redlands.nsw.edu.au