Hello to everyone and welcome back to school. It’s great to be back, share warm greetings and holiday stories, see how well all the students have ‘stepped up’ and welcome our new Foundation Year students.

Our year began in the most meaningful way with Wurundjeri Woi wurrung Elder Perry Wandin bringing our community together in a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony. Even though we are in the inner city, the significance of the Ceremony inspired deeper connections to Country, and refreshed mindfulness of what it means to live and learn on Wurundjeri Woi wurrung land. For many in our gathered community, this may have been the first time they were invited to walk through the smoke to cleanse the souls of their feet and bodies from any bad spirits that may have travelled with them, and it was wonderful to see everyone uplifted by the experience. Thank you to Perry, Ruby and the Leadership Team for the opportunity to begin this new year together, enriched through growth and understanding of this land.

Across the Neighbourhoods we have been enjoying activities that build team skills as students settle into new contexts and relationships with one another. We have also started to learn a whole-school song for Harmony Day which we will celebrate with an assembly next month: Yinyarr Mulana Winyarr by Yorta Yorta musician Madi Colville-Walker. Madi’s song is an ode to home and country, and the Red-capped Robins sang this song for the Boite Schools Chorus: Los Ninos 2024. Madi attended that performance and is ‘beyond excited’ to share her beautiful song with the world. With the theme for this year’s Harmony Day being ‘Everyone Belongs’ we again resonate with how we can nurture a sense of belonging to Country.

Best wishes to everyone for your 2025 adventures, and thank you for a lovely start to the school year, Deb.