It seems like a very long time ago now, but the final week of Term 2 for Year 10 students was Futures Week. While this week was filled with opportunities for students to engage in thinking about their education moving forward, Monday of this week allowed students to think about ‘future’ in a different way; that is, their contribution to the broader community in the years to come. By opening the day with a Liturgy, students were able to stop and think about the broader context of what ‘the future’ means – for them, and for others.

Following the Liturgy, students were engaged by Scott Darlow, a Yorta Yorta descendant, who is an educator and activist. Using both music and personal engagement, Scott spoke to the Year 10s about First Nations culture, Australian history and important social matters. Using the acronym FLUTE (Forgiving, Loving, Understanding, Tolerant and Empathetic), he asked the students to remember to be kind, as kindness can come through in very simple actions and words that can impact more than we know.

This was followed by Gwen Michener from Caritas presenting ideas around our Catholic Social Teaching, and some of the actions we can take to support others. This message was then reinforced by David Cross of ZOE International, a group that highlights both human rights and the very real problem of human slavery.

Such experiences for students remind us of the wonderfully well-rounded education offered at Kilbreda College. The curriculum in Religious Education is supported by the experiences we can offer students to step back from the everyday and really take moments to think about their place in the world around them. Another example of how our Catholic Identity can allow for us to stir students intellectually while preparing them for their journey beyond our school gates.

Jane Watkins
Learning Leader: Religious Education