Echuca College welcomed many special guests as part of its NAIDOC Week celebrations on Wednesday, July 12.
The school invited Berrimba Child Care Centre and Njernda Aboriginal Corporation to be part of a luncheon.
They joined family and friends of students to celebrate current and future leaders.
Echuca College inclusion support leader Carlie Jones spoke of the importance of the event.
“NAIDOC Week is all about inclusion and celebrating everyone’s history, culture and having a good time. It’s also a time where we look to the future while also acknowledging the past. NAIDOC is also showing respect to our Elders,” Mrs Jones said.
“And when we come together, we see our differences but also our shared humanity, and that really is the bigger picture. The town of Echuca has a wonderful, rich history and culture within our wider community, especially at our school, and it’s an absolute honour to be part of that.
“The children from Berrimba are part of the four-year-old program, and in time they will be the future leaders, and they look up to the senior students who will lead the way.
“I would really like to give my appreciation to Njernda for bringing the groups together. It’s really important to foster those relationships with our community, especially our parents and families that attended today. I sincerely appreciate them giving the time to celebrate their children’s education.”
Echuca College has a number of emerging leaders, including Year 10 student Nehemiah Kennedy.
“The leadership position I have within the school was a little unusual at first. I would say that the students and teachers would see me as a respectful person. I consider myself to be straightforward and hard-working,” he said.
“I think to be a student, you have to put in the hard work. When you put in the effort and the time, and you really want to achieve something, in the end it will always pay off.
“Some of my favourite subjects are chemistry and biology, and when I finish school I think I would like to do study music. Currently I’m playing three instruments. And they’re saxophone, bass guitar and piano. Even though I’ve only been playing for a year, I’m slowly mastering all the facets of those instruments.”
Another of the young leaders is Malik Day.
“Being given the leadership role is a great opportunity for all of us as we mature into adults. The role also gives the younger kids a chance to have role models outside of their family and for them to have other people to look up to,” he said.
“I think it’s an excellent opportunity for all of the students to grow and mature as we become adults. The leadership role has allowed me to be a moral compass for the students, such as the young children from Berrimba.”