The theme for Refugee Week this year is Healing. Refugee Week is held annually to inform the public about refugees and celebrate positive contributions made by refugees to Australian society. It also is an opportunity to raise awareness of the issues affecting refugees.
Each year the theme aims to highlight aspects of the refugee experience. As a school we use Refugee Week to help educate our students to understand what it is like to be a refugee, the struggles they endure and the richness they bring to our communities.
The importance of human connections has been highlighted in recent years by the pandemic. We can draw upon these situations and our own feelings of being isolated from family and loved ones to help our students understand and empathise with refugee families. Connection and a sense of community makes individuals feel safe, it engenders a sense of belonging and security, and supports positive mental health. It's important for these reasons to encourage our students to embrace diversity and welcome refugees and people with cultural diverse backgrounds into our communities and lives.
Our students at Yultiwirra have been talking about Refugee Week and what it means. Each class has been involved in making cards for refugee families expressing the feeling of 'I'm happy you are here, I'm happy you are safe'. These cards will be given to refugee families with the rice and spice that have been donated by our school families. Our school is collaborating with Adelaide Refugee Support Group to help refugees and asylum seekers in Adelaide get started in their journey to build their lives here. The Group has identified a huge need for rice and spices. It is not too late to donate! Please drop off donations by the end of this week and access the flyer that was sent out for more details here.
Healing is a raw and poignant theme for this year’s Refugee Week and healing is an important step for families who are starting a new life in our country. Let’s educate our young people and work together as a community to assist the healing process as we aspire for a connected and understanding society.
Cathy France
Principal
We appreciate the ways in which people from refugee backgrounds enrich our communities and culture.
Refugee Week started in Australia in 1986 and is now a global celebration. It provides an opportunity to celebrate the wonderful ways in which people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds enrich their new communities and is an opportunity for people to welcome, thank and celebrate those who have come seeking safety. It is a time designed to raise awareness and establish dialogue in our communities about the refugee experience. In doing so, Refugee Week aims to facilitate better understanding between communities and encourage successful integration.
Students have had the opportunity to learn about who refugees are and why they have come to Australia, as well as understand the many challenges they face. Refugee Week is a valuable time to foster empathy and understanding and in doing so, encourage a safe and welcoming environment for people seeking safety in Australia.
As part of SA Refugee Week (19-25 June), the Australian Migrant Resource Centre and Children’s Artspace at Adelaide Festival Centre hosted the Youth Poster Awards Exhibition. The exhibition invites young people to produce a poster that celebrates the themes of multiculturalism, human rights, cultural diversity, anti-racism and the welcoming of refugees into Australia.
Several Cycle 3 students participated with posters that celebrated the courage, resilience, strength and contributions of people of refugee background. 70 poster entries are shortlisted and curated into an exhibition including a poster created by Cycle 3 students Pearl and Maddie. Their poster highlighted the strength of refugees and Australia's part in helping refugees to heal. The girls were invited to the opening of the exhibition in the new Children's Artspace at the Adelaide Festival Centre, where they had the opportunity to see their work framed and on display.
If you would like to see the exhibition it will be open at Children’s Artspace at Adelaide Festival Centre until Saturday 30 July.
Well done Pearl and Maddie!
Congratulations to Penny and Sierra from our middle school, who recently competed in the State Cross Country Championship at Oakbank! Hundreds of students from across the state competed on the day in different age brackets from 10 years of age up to 17 years old, running distances of 2 km or 3 km.
Penny and Sierra competed in the 14 year old girls age bracket in the 3 km run which had close to 100 other competitors. Both girls should be very proud, with Penny placing 11th with a time of 12:53 and Sierra placing 60th with a time of 15:58.
Congratulations Penny and Sierra!
The Infant Program has been enjoying interactive literacy and numeracy for our 'what's in the box' activity, which gives children the chance to be involved in the story or song, by pausing and giving them the opportunity to take part.
The children were particularly engaged in Baby Bear, Baby Bear by Eric Carle which has matching animal cards, as well as the Five Green and Speckled Frogs song which has beautiful props that children use to bring the song to life!
During art this term Cycle 2 students have been exploring textiles and the design process. Each class member has been challenged to design and create a soft toy that is meaningful to them. This process has provided lots of opportunities for our designers to reflect on their ideas, work through any challenges which sometimes involved modifying their original design and develop their sewing skills.
Our class is very excited to be sharing reflections as well as the finished toys with each other on the last day of school this term, which we will combine with a special morning tea.
🎩"Making my stuffed toy was fun. I have made a guinea pig with a hat on." Soraya
🧶"Making my stuffed toy was hard to make. I used lots of thread and put lots of detail on my donut cat." Josie
🦆"Making my stuffed toy was really hard. I found the sewing a bit hard but had some help. I'm proud of my duck." Tanush
🐈⬛"Making my stuffed toy was fun. I made a black cat. I used pretty blue flower buttons for the eyes." Amber
🚗"Making my stuffed toy was enjoyable. I made a car with wooden buttons for the wheels." Kai
🐷"Making my stuffed toy was so much fun. I made a piggy. I made lots of accessories to go with my piggy." Mae
Children in the Preschool have been active in using popsicle sticks to copy and create their own rhythm patterns, and to then apply them to body percussion and songs. It’s a delightful experience to work with such inquisitive children and watching them grow in their musical love and understanding. 🎼
A note has been sent home in preparation for our Term 3 Sausage Sizzle in the 1st week (Friday 29th July). Orders must be in by the last day of THIS term. Class Parent Reps are organising and hosting this special lunch for the students to celebrate the beginning of Term 3!
Lost property Term 2 is ready for collection! Hoodies, jackets, jumpers, cardigans, hats, beanies, umbrellas, shorts, leggings and tracksuit pants, along with lunchboxes, drink bottles and a cute pair of sunglasses, are on display along the front fence until Friday. Best efforts have been made to return clothing or hats that are labelled with a name, to the rightful owners.👕👚👖🩳🎒🌂👓🧢
The Russian attack on Ukraine has caused the displacement of many tens of thousands of Ukrainian people from their homes and we are asking our school community for support and financial donations to assist a family known to us who has recently arrived from the Ukraine.
Liza, one of our Cycle 3 School Assistants moved from the Ukraine in 2011, but her family remained there. Her family, along with tens of thousands of Ukrainian people have now become displaced from their homes. One of Liza's sisters, Olga, has recently managed to flee the country with her two children leaving behind her husband. Olga and her children have made it to Australia where they now have the daunting task of building their lives from the beginning. They had to leave their home very quickly and have arrived with very little.
Regardless of what lies ahead, Olga and her family will need to rebuild their lives which will take time, resources and support. We asked Liza how we could best assist them, and she said that financial assistance would be the most useful and practical way of supporting them.
Liza has set up a Go Fund Me Page which we have offered to share with our school community. Small contributions add up, so if you are in a position to assist, please click on the link below or feel free to share it with others who may like to show their support:
Go Fund Me Page
Double congratulations to Cycle 4 teacher Alice and her partner Roger who have welcomed two beautiful baby boys! Twins Eddie and Benji have arrived happy, healthy and together with Alice, are doing extremely well. (Eddie is in the white beanie and Benji in the purple beanie).
The annual Quiz Night, one of our favourite events in the social calendar is back for 2022! This year the Quiz Night will be hosted on Saturday September 10 in the school hall. It is always a fun night out for parents, carers, teachers, and anyone from inside or outside our school community is welcome. Tickets will go on sale in coming weeks, so be sure to start inviting friends and family to fill up your table of 10. Further details regarding the theme of the evening, as well as how you can help, will be communicated shortly.
