On Monday 5 September, six students from St John’s joined in the celebration of their graduation from Year 12 at the Shoalhaven Aboriginal Graduation Ceremony. Almost sixty students from the Shoalhaven will graduate this year. The presentations involved dance and didgeridoo performances, inspirational addresses and, most importantly, a celebration of the success of our young people and the contributions of their families.

Congratulations to Mitchell Bisat, Louis Carter, Courtney O’Mullane, Wil Osgood, Millie Thulin and Seth Wellington. We are very proud of your achievements and we wish you all the best in your future endeavours. We look forward to continuing our celebrations with the St John’s graduation in Week 10.

Following on from our National NAIDOC celebrations in July, there have been many requests for performances by the Garindja Dance Troupe. Our students have been to several schools and preschools to help celebrate and share the rich culture of the First Peoples. These performances are always well received and provide an opportunity for our students to showcase their hard work and dedication to their craft.

The Waminda Bulwul Balaang program for young women continued this term with 25 students participating in the recent workshop in Gooroon. A big thankyou to the ladies from Waminda for presenting this fantastic program.

Our Aboriginal Education Assistants recently attended a conference organised by the Wollongong CEO. This conference provided an opportunity for collegial learning and connection for all AEA’s throughout the diocese. One of the many activities was the creation of a possum skin coat which will be shared among schools of the diocese for use in significant ceremonies.

Jordan from Navy Recruitment visited St John’s to provide Career Counseling for Gooroon students. This involved giving insight into the pathways program and aptitude testing. Two of our senior students are currently considering a career in the Royal Australian Navy.

Our regular programs continue throughout the term. The dance and didg cultural programs have many keen students involved. Homework centre is well attended each Wednesday afternoon, with afternoon tea and learning support provided. These programs are open to all students. 

Several Gooroon staff and students will be attending the World Indigenous People’s Conference on Education (WIPCE) in Adelaide in the upcoming holidays. I look forward to reporting on this wonderful event next term.

One of the key goals of Gooroon is to share culture with all people. Through knowledge comes understanding and appreciation. Please contact Gooroon for any questions or further information.

On behalf of the Gooroon Team,

Mr David Muller

Gooroon Coordinator