National Reconciliation Week is held every year between 27 May and 3 June and is an important occasion for us to acknowledge at GLC. 

In the lead up to this year’s Reconciliation Week, the St John's Newtown campus community came together for a special Reconciliation Week assembly in the Plaza, featuring all our students and some from St John’s Lutheran Kindergarten. Ash, from the Wadawurrung Traditional Owners joined the event to conduct a Welcome to Country at the assembly, the St John's Newtown choirs performed two songs, ‘Parwang lifts the sky’ and ‘Wadawurrung - Thank you to Country’, and the Aboriginal Flag was hoisted by three First Nations students.

With the gym out of action as an exam venue, Armstrong Creek students and staff marked Reconciliation Week in their classrooms, learning about Australia’s path to reconciliation and First Nations history and culture. Primary students read ‘Hello and Welcome’ by Greg Dreise in their Library sessions during the week and gathered in their classrooms for a special online Reconciliation Week assembly. Artwork by an Armstrong Creek First Nations student is now proudly on display in the the campus' Reception, and will be installed at the St John's Newtown campus as well, following being on display at the  Reconciliation Assembly. The artwork, titled ‘Coming Together’, depicts the two campuses coming together as one College. 

New Welcome signs also featuring this artwork have been installed at both campuses with an Acknowledgement of Country stating that our campuses are on Wadawurrung land.

OUR VISION FOR RECONCILIATION:

Geelong Lutheran College’s vision for reconciliation is to embrace, learn alongside and build relationships with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We aim to seek and understand Australia’s First Nations peoples’ histories, cultures and perspectives so that we can work together towards reconciliation and value the contributions of all.

Walking on our journey’s together in harmony and acceptance, building respectful relationships between First Nations peoples and the wider community.

You can watch a video filmed last year featuring our College’s Acknowledgement and Vision for Reconciliation below: