The speakers included descendant of one of the perpetrators, Mr Des Blake; descendant of the massacred, Aunty Sue Blacklock and Keith Munro; and inaugural co-chair, Mr John Brown. All encouraged us to advocate for the rights of those without power or privilege, helping to bridge gaps, particularly when they are of the first peoples of this land. It was a deeply moving service for the 1000 strong crowd.
Some students’ thoughts from the weekend are provided below, but for me it was wonderful to introduce our first group to the warm and inspirational Gamilaraay elder Aunty Sue Blacklock; discover the music of our land and people at a Sounds of Country concert in Bingara; have a discussion with a descendant of the perpetrator Mr Des Blake; and to see so many of the local schools, particularly Tingha Public School’s young indigenous dancers, play such an active and engaging part in proceedings.
Special thanks to accompanying staff Clare Walker for making the round trip possible. I was especially proud of our student representatives Marcus, Desmond, Vivi, Kristin and Kydra. I asked them to move "totally proud and strong" (to use Tingha Public School’s motto) throughout the day, shake people's hands and look them in the eye, and listen to the stories that they may have to share. On top of this, they helped where they could, particularly in the public reciting of the sad history at one of the seven tablet stations, as hundreds of people passed along the rainbow-serpent track towards the monument. Their reflections suggest they have gained and gathered a lot from this experience and have been excellent ambassadors at this, our first trip down for the commemoration service.
Somerset College will take students to Myall Creek because we need to, not just to join a symbolic act, but because it goes in hand with the practical, of putting students alongside students as we do on our B Trips where we can learn from each other. It is worth travelling 1000kms for that.
Extracts from Reflections
1: I have learnt not to take shame in the dark spots in our not-so-ancient history but to find empowerment and hope in the ways we are healing. I have learnt that talking and remembering, is healing. Forgetting, denial and selective deafness to sorrow is never progress. Silencing the voices of those in pain in an attempt to ‘move on’ is always a step backwards. It is a band-aid on a bullet wound. I want to start more conversations, meet more people, ask more questions and spark greater awareness in our collective consciousness. I want to listen and I want to understand, and I want to walk alongside and exist and act in solidarity for as long as it takes. This is what I want to do.
2: I found myself looking for birds after the ceremony as I remember Aunty Sue mentioning that they carry the souls of those lost in the massacre. I think there is a peace in knowing that the slain live on watching and looking over you. The descendants of the victims are incredibly forgiving people. If it was the other way round, would we all be as open to this?
The field study included collecting data on different organisms in the area, the shape of the rocky shore landscape, and measuring several abiotic factors. Throughout the day, we all had the opportunity to observe how different organisms interact with their environment and the ways in which they live, whether it be in dense clusters or far apart.
The tide was rising from the moment we arrived and forced us all to work quickly as a team to gather data. It caused some minor havoc but everyone managed to record sufficient data in the end. When completed, students had the opportunity to spend some time enjoying the beautiful and peaceful surroundings of Hastings Point. Once we all arrived back at school, we began to process our results and draw profiles of the rocky shore using the data collected at the shore.
Overall, the day was very enjoyable. It would not have been possible without the guidance of our teachers, Mrs Leslie, Mr McLaughlin and Mrs McNeil. It was an amazing day and on behalf of the students who participated, I would like to say thank you, and we all really appreciate the time you spent preparing the day.
Around 40 students from Year 5 to Year 12 attended as our new Coach Howard Arbuthnot introduced some of the fundamental skills of the sport. According to Coach Howard it was clearly evident of the potential that lies within, “Who knows where some of these students could be after a couple of years training. What a fantastic response to the beginning of a new programme.”
Over the course of the two-hour session, introductory skills such as pole grip and placement was covered. When moving over to the long jump pit, a simulated runway approach, plant and take off took place and the students put their newfound skills into practice. If Tuesday’s session was any indication, it will not be long before we see our students scaling to new heights as they improve their knowledge, skill and understanding of the sport.
The Pole Vault Pit and subsequent equipment is a result of the recent Commonwealth Games Training Camps held at the College and the new programme is just one example of the many Legacies created from GC2018.
The current programme aims to enhance strength and stability to not only improve performance but also prevent injury. Sessions for dancers also involve regular movement screening, goal setting and education regarding the application of evidence-based sports science into the world of dance.
Ballet students can be seen (pictured) working on their mobility, leg strength and trunk control.
Friday night. Exhausted, sweaty and so tired. The first thing Noa said as we arrive home was mum, that was the best Tennis I have ever had in Somerset, I had so much fun, can we please do this again? And again? Ha! Wait, there is more. It's Monday morning. Tennis lesson at 7.00am. It's cold, it's early, we went to sleep so late last night, the usual struggle to get to school on time.
ALAS! This morning?! Do I even know those girls? Noa was already up dressed and ready at 6.00am? Is this a dream? Super motivated, all smiles and energy. Wow! Someone needed to pinch me.
Now why am I telling you all this, you are asking? Well, because this is thanks to you, to us. This is what Friday evening did to us. I'm sure we were not the only ones who arrived home on that Friday night with such big smiles, happy bellies and a feeling of hope. We have finally taken the first step in creating a Somerset Tennis Tribe.
The clouds that filled skies that morning and the day before cleared especially for us, Luke and young Lachlan made sure everything is set and ready and before we knew it the The Tennis Lawn was ready for a fantastic evening of Tennis. And even though he hasn’t officially started working with us yet, the arrival of Lachlan was the cherry on the cake.
And what a fantastic evening. We played together, organised, learned and laughed together, the snags were sizzling the chicken nibbles were crackling, red, orange and green balls were flying above the nets, the children were laughing and running and owning the Somerset kingdom.
We had a King Of The Court and travelled Around The World… Such a great evening.
We welcome Lachlan to our Tribe of wonderful coaches, students and parents with hope and anticipation to create a dynamic community where everyone can enjoy the great sport of tennis, bring our young people to learn love and excel, have fun together, and develop the skills and values they will need to enjoy a lifetime of health, happiness, and a sense of belonging.
See you all on the Tennis lawn to celebrate the beginning of Term Three.
More details will be communicated through the Tennis page on SchoolBox.
Somerset won the Year 4 Girls Futsal Grand Final, finishing the tournament undefeated and were unfortunately defeated by Kings in both the Year 5 and Year 6 Boys final. Second place is still a very proud achievement.
The Year 4 Boys finished equal third, with the Year 5 and Year 6 Girls both finishing fourth. We are very proud of all our students for their effort and team spirit on the day. All students were well behaved, setting an excellent example for all participating schools.
Ari Thake was named Year 4 Girls Most Valuable Player for the tournament. This is a great acknowledgement from the tournament for Ari’s excellent effort, skill and teamwork on the day.
Holiday Camps
There are two holiday camps available to break the boredom. The first is run by Brisbane Roar and is being held at Somerset College on 12 and 13 July. The second camp is run by Maarten de Kruijf, who is one of our very experienced Somerset coaches – all details of these camps are on the Junior Football Schoolbox page.
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