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Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Program
Connection to Place...
The place I feel most safe and connected to is when we go up to Avoca beach for the holidays. The air is fresh with the smell of the sea salt making your nose tingle. I see the bright yellow sand glistening in the sunlight and the crystal clear blue waves turning foamy as they reach the shore. There’s the sight of seagulls flapping around together scavenging for food. I feel the soft sea breeze brush against me as I walk along the beach, the sand in between my toes. This place makes me feel connected and safe because it is very relaxing and peaceful watching the waves crash against the shore and the beauty of this beach is amazing. The sounds of nature allow me to relax and feel a sense of belonging with the world. The people there are also very welcoming and have a great sense of community. Avoca beach was first inhabited by the Darkinjung & Awabakal Aboriginal peoples. The Indigenous land I am on right now was originally founded by the Dharug people. There is an area on the beach that is full of rocks and a mini cliff which is my healing place as it is quiet and has really good views of the ocean.
Emma O’Brien, Year 8
NAIDOC WEEK
My name is Shayarnee Burns and I am a proud Kunja and Barkindji woman from Wellington, NSW. I currently reside on Wiradjuri Country, where two rivers meet and gum trees blossom. Barkindji Country is dry, yet beautiful, as the river silently prods the riverbank. Kunja Country encompasses a magical view of native trees swaying in the dry wind and the clearest blue skies. As we recognised and celebrated NAIDOC week 2021 as a whole community, even via zoom, I felt very supported by all staff and students. The NAIDOC theme for this year is ‘Heal Country’ which called for all of us to continue to seek greater protection for our lands, waters, sacred sites and Aboriginal heritage from exploitation, desecration, and destruction. To me, Country is more than just the surrounding land. It encompasses my identity as a young, proud Indigenous woman and gives me all that I need to survive in this world. It is at the basis of all my relationships and provides me with my spirituality. The protection and security the land provides me is beyond belief, I can feel safe wherever I go knowing that I am sheltered from all harm by the ancestral beings beneath the earth and my ancestors watching me from above. In 2021, I encourage all to come together to help heal our nation as we seek to provide better for the many generations of the future.
Shayarnee Burns, Year 12
Acknowledgement of Country Update
Each year, Loreto Normanhurst develops in our understanding of the cultural and spiritual connections First Nations peoples have to Country, and learns more about the richness and truths of the Land on which our school is situated. In 2021, we updated our Acknowledgement of Country in consultation with Indigenous elders of the Guringai Land and other important members of our community.
We pay our respect to this ancient Land that breathed life 300 million years ago. A Land that extends from the ridgeline of the Blue Mountains across the soft sandstone plateau to the coast into the ocean. These ridgelines are the water catchment areas. It’s where the rain hits first and flows down into our rivers and creeks, rejuvenating the earth and filling waterholes and hanging swamps. A Land kissed by rainbows and home to the tall Blue Gums. We acknowledge this Land as mother to possums, lyrebirds, the laughing kookaburra, the tawny frogmouth and brush turkey. We recognise the deep cultural and spiritual connection of this Land to the peoples of this Country. We honour Elders, those past, present and emerging. We pay respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people within our community.
MARY WARD CONNECT
On Friday, 19 March, Year 10 connected to other Loreto schools around Australia and heard from Loreto sisters in countries such as Vietnam and South Sudan. The theme of this special Mary Ward Connect Day this year was ‘Engaging with the Bigger Picture’. Prior to this, Catherine Knox from the Hornsby Kuring-gai Women’s Shelter talked to Year 10 about the experiences that shaped her mission to support women and provide shelter to women fleeing domestic violence. Year 10 then reflected on their learning and explored the concepts of privilege, feminism and the integrity inherent in all of us, before brainstorming their ideas for the “Walk the Talk” project to support the shelter and its work. Enjoy reading the reflections from Year 10 on the day.
“Did you know that young girls in South Sudan are forced into arranged marriages before the age of 18 in exchange for cows, resulting in very few girls finishing Secondary School? Loreto Rumbek provides Primary and Secondary education in South Sudan, allowing girls to build the foundation to improve life for themselves and their communities”.
Feminism. Connectedness. Community. During Mary Ward Connect, we explored the value of female empowerment through education, particularly in developing countries around the globe. Listening to a range of speakers from different walks of life allowed us to discover intersectionality and other aspects of feminism.”
– Abigail Wehrhahn and friends
– Libby Weston and friends
Year 10 had the amazing opportunity to experience Mary Ward Connect. Although in a different format to usual, it was still an incredible experience to be able to Zoom with other Loreto schools around the globe, listen to Catherine Knox (Director of the Hornsby Kuring-gai Women’s Shelter) and learn more about our school’s values. It was particularly insightful listening to Sister Orla Treacy IBVM, who works in Loreto South Sudan. It is very uncommon to receive a full high school education in South Sudan, especially for a girl. After hearing about this school and seeing a photo of school children excitedly running through the Loreto South Sudan gates, it made us realise how privileged we are to receive an education, especially at Loreto Normanhurst. It was a super fun day and we are so excited to continue the Walk the Talk program!”
– Becca, Jacqui, Milly, Lucy
WOMEN OF INFLUENCE
On Monday 8 March, we welcomed back to school Catherine Livingstone AO (’72) and Natasha Luschwitz (’98) to share their remarkable careers and join with us on International Women’s Day. Catherine is the current Chair of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Saluda Medical Pty Ltd and Chancellor of UTS. She has had an illustrious career, with extensive business, finance and executive leadership experience, and has contributed to Australia’s banking, telecommunications, science, technology and innovation sectors. Natasha is the Executive Director of Strategic Coordination in the Department of Premier and Cabinet. She was awarded the 2021 Public Service Medal for emergency crisis management for her role in the 2019-20 Bushfire Crisis and COVID-19 Taskforce.
Hosted by our Year 12 students, with panel questions facilitated by Knowledge and Learning Strategist, Liz Green, our Women of Influence shared with us inspirational and insightful stories about their careers and life since leaving school. We were thrilled to have questions submitted from those online as well as those onsite, including a Year 7 student who courageously put up her hand twice!
We are also immensely grateful to Hattie Dalton (’90), who was unable to join us remotely on the evening due to difficulties with our connection. Hattie is a BAFTA Award-winning film and theatre writer and director.
With more than 330 registrations for onsite and online participation in this event, our community of students, parents, staff and exstudents raised $5,025 for the Loreto Normanhurst Bursary Fund. We are honoured to provide bursaries to 18 of our students and thank our school community for your generous support.
LN COMMUNITY OLYMPICS
eing a part of the Loreto Community Olympics was so much fun. It was a great way to get everyone involved and spark a bit of healthy competition between the Houses and Tutor Groups. As online learning at times can be very physically and mentally draining, the Community Olympics created something for everyone to look forward to. In order for us to share an insight into our experience of the Community Olympics, we thought we would start from the very beginning: the Opening Ceremony, which was virtual of course! Even though none of us had any expectations about what the Community Olympics would be like, the Opening Ceremony was a fun and exciting way to get everyone super hyped and initiate some friendly competition between the Tutor Groups. There were 24 challenges that each Tutor Group could complete, and Kendall 4 made it our mission from the start to complete all of them and be named the winners. Each Tutor time we would always check up on what each girl had completed and share ideas for the best way to complete each challenge. The best part of this collective experience was that everyone was super motivated to get them all done, and as we were constantly being rewarded with more and more points and holding our Number 1 position on the results table, this excitement was maintained throughout the entire challenge. Our favourite challenge was called “WhackJob,” which involved using a broom to knock an egg from on top of a toilet roll into a glass. This was the most challenging one which no other Tutor Group submitted. Kendall 4 was determined to complete it, even to the point where our amazing tutor, Mrs Dowers, gave it a go! Finally, before we knew it the Community Olympics had finished, and it was time for the Closing Ceremony. Although we knew we had completed all the challenges, there was a bit of a rivalry going
Bon between Kendall 4 and 2 other Tutor Groups, as we all were competing for that gold medal! Therefore, our nerves were peaking during the ceremony and when they announced that Kendall 4 had won, we were all ecstatic. This announcement only heightened the fantastic experience we already had. The best part of participating in the Community Olympics was the fact that it was going on at the same time as the real Tokyo Games. This meant that we could see our favourite athletes competing at the same time as us completing all of the challenges - sometimes we would even complete some challenges while watching the Tokyo Games. Ultimately, we had a really positive experience of participating in the Loreto Community Olympics and being a part of the winning Tutor Group is something that we will brag about for years to come!
Zara Warland and Felicity Orman Year 11 Kendall
IN-SPIRO DAY
Remote learning had its challenges. It was a positive and empowering experience for some; for others it was a difficult time that was endured with hope that it, too, would pass. Most would agree that lockdown allowed us to become more appreciative of the connections and relationships we share with one another, and the genuine spirit, support and sense of community that defines the Loreto Normanhurst ethos.
At times, we may have struggled and felt a disconnection with our teachers, friends and peers, but we were always reminded that we would move past these times. We were encouraged to focus on the present, lift each other up with kindness and determination, and make the most of our great privilege to quality education, no matter the format, in the spirit of Mary Ward. Personally, I felt grateful for the opportunity to spend time with my busy family, without the rush of early start times and late finishes. We would gather outdoors to eat, chat, paint and play soccer in our sunny backyard. There were marathon sessions of Monopoly and masked outings to local bushwalk tracks where we found spots to watch peaceful sunsets. Our cavoodle, Marlowe, was a loyal companion and active participant in the daily rhythms of lockdown life. He moved in a busy patrol between me and my sister’s room, the home office, and any corner of the house where work or school life was in progress. After adapting to the routine of online learning for five weeks, we were all becoming a little tired and restless. Then along came the announcement of IN-SPIRO DAY. We were all thankful for the opportunity to spend one whole day away from our screens and schoolwork to relax, complete a range of outdoor and creative activities of our choice, and recharge. No two IN-SPIRO days would have looked the same: I did some chores for my parents, washed my dog, gardened, kicked the AFL ball around with my sister, baked cookies, played UNO, watched The Sound of Music, and taught my dog new tricks. As I spent time in the garden, planting seedlings and tending to the dry shrubbery, my heart and mind were at peace and I felt the warmth of the sun encasing me in light. I was reminded of God’s joyful spirit and filled with gratitude for nature’s gifts and soothing touch. IN-SPIRO Day was a reminder for us all to become appreciative, present and grounded, and to allow ourselves to become hopeful and energised for the future. We will take all the learnings from this year, ready to face the challenges of the next.
Maya Dias, Year 8
LORETO RURAL PARTNERSHIP
The Loreto Rural Partnership is an immersion experience offered to Year 10 in Term 1 each year where students spend a week in the rural communities of Coolah, Dunedoo and, for the first time this year, Gulgong. The partnership aims to foster connections between Loreto Normanhurst and the communities we visit.
Students complete community service at local Catholic schools by helping teachers and running lessons. They also interact with the communities they are in, including many of our own boarding families, and get to participate in daily rural life. In doing so, our students gain an authentic and lived understanding of rural experiences, and the students at the schools we visit gain an understanding of urban living and high school; the love of learning from both sides is infectious. “Overall working with the kids was a really special experience as we made important connections and learnt many new skills.”
For the first time we welcomed All Hallows Catholic Primary School Gulgong to the partnership. They joined Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School at Coolah, who have been involved for their third year, and St Michael’s Catholic Primary School Dunedoo, who helped develop the partnership initially, and have been involved for 8 years. We look forward to welcoming the students, staff and parents from St Michael’s Dunedoo in the Loreto Normanhurst boarding house in December this year when they come for their excursion to the big smoke! A special thank you to Mrs Hannah Truong, Mrs Melanie Oxley and Mrs Isabelle Asquith who accompanied students on this immersion.
Mr Victor McGee Immersions Coordinator
“Being a part of Rural Partnership was really important as there is a need to better understand our rural towns in NSW, build connections, create a sense of community between the city and rural experiences and engage with primary students.”
Pip, Year 10
Jennifer, Year 10
“One of the most rewarding parts of our immersion was helping out around the school, either getting to know the kids and helping them with their work or helping teachers with jobs around the classroom.”
Indianna, Year 10
