Students and educators explore reconciliation in Laurieton Camden Haven Camden Haven News by News Of The Area - Modern Media - June 7, 2024 Hylah Woolner engaging in activities held during National Reconciliation Week. STUDENTS and educators at St Joseph’s Early Childhood Services (SJECS) participated in a range of activities to mark National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June). This year’s theme for the annual week of action is ‘Now More Than Ever’. At St Joseph’s, children took part in an array of activities celebrating Indigenous culture . Funds were also raised for Children’s Ground, a First Nations-led not-for-profit working to improve the lives of Indigenous kids in the Northern Territory. “Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to explore the responsibilities of reconciling with the First Nations past,” said Megan Jones, the director of the Laurieton-based early childhood education service. “The children were also asked to wear yellow on either Thursday or Friday and to bring in a gold coin donation on these days to support Children’s Ground.” Funds raised will go directly to supporting the education, health and employment opportunities for First Nations people. “By taking part in Wear It Yellow the children of SJECS have had the opportunity to celebrate both our First Nations culture and history,” Megan told NOTA. The dates for National Reconciliation Week remain the same each year, 27 May to 3 June, in commemoration of two significant milestones in Australia’s reconciliation journey. The first is the successful referendum held on 27 May 1967, where Australians voted to remove references in the Australian Constitution that discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The second is the Mabo High Court decision. The judgment of the High Court in the Mabo case recognised the traditional rights of the Meriam people to their islands in the eastern Torres Strait. The Court also held that native title existed for all Indigenous people in Australia prior to the establishment of the British Colony of New South Wales in 1788. Donations are still open for SJECS’ fundraising appeal for Children’s Ground. “If people wanted to they could support the SJECS fundraiser by making a donation via our donation page on the Wear It Yellow dashboard!” https://wearityellow.org.au/st-josephs-early-childhood-service-laurieton By Kim AMBROSE Montana Axe eagerly participating in National Reconciliation Week activities at St Joseph’s Early Childhood Services.
