KAYA

YAARN

STUDENTS' NEWS

Our Indigenous students have had a busy few weeks. A group of Indigenous students accompanied by a non-Indigenous friend, attended a Just Leadership Day at John XXIII College in Claremont in preparation for Reconciliation Week. This was a very successful day and led to students suggesting a prayer focus for Reconciliation Week. Each student wrote a reconciliation message on a “foot” in House colours and these were placed on the avenue at the end of PC prayer. Students then made a symbolic reconciliation walk around the avenue.

A group of Year 9 Indigenous students also invited a friend to join them at a special reconciliation event at King’s Park on 26 May – The Journey Starts Today. This event commemorated Sorry Day and also gave the students the opportunity to venerate and carry the World Youth Day Cross and Icon. That night many of them returned to take part in the WYD Cross journey from the foreshore in Rockingham and stayed for Mass at the College. It was a long day for these students and we are very appreciative of their contributions.

Another exciting event was the trip to Melbourne to take part in the Long Walk and attend the Reconciliation football game at the MCG, the ‘Dreamtime at the G.’ Three of our students, Jay Collard, Morgan Hansen and Emmanuel Collard had this great honour. They also took part in motivational seminars and met Indigenous role models.

Our latest news is that Year 11 student, Cameron Smith, has been accepted into the University of NSW Indigenous Winter School. We are so proud of this achievement, a first for our College.

Mrs Lyn Quilty
Pastoral Care Team Leader

INDIGENOUS CAMP ART WORK

On Friday April 11 at our College assembly Jucinta Dann and Emmanuel Collard presented a art piece representig the Indigenous camp and all it's members to the College. Thank you to Maureen Foster who assisted the students with this art piece.

Maureen Foster visits Kolbe

Tuesday February 26

On Tuesday 26 February we welcomed visiting artist, Maureen Foster to the College to spend some time with our art students.

Maureen shared with the students her insight and motivation behind her painting technique and gave students some helpful advice about exploring their ‘creative spirit’.

Maureen’s aboriginal paintings are rich in colour and focus on strong symbolism to portray her ‘life experiences’.  She mainly paints on canvas and has a stylised yet spontaneous feel to her paintings.

Maureen has been particularly successful within the Tourism Industry and the majority of her work is sold outside of Australia.

Maureen Foster was born in Kalgoorlie in 1962 to a Dutch mother and Aboriginal father. Her Aboriginal name is Warrinjie, which comes from her father's grandmother. Her father has never met her because members of her family were part of the 'stolen generation' where Aboriginal children were forcibly separated from their families and taken into white man's homes. Maureen's grandfather was taken from his mother when he was four years old. She has a sister who is also an artist.

Maureen started painting when she was in school but found herself forced to conform to teachers' demands which restricted her style. Her artistic flair was once again discovered in 1997 when she attended a course at Rockingham TAFE where they helped bring out the creativity, which had been dormant for some time.

Maureen is now involved with the Catholic Education Office providing cultural and art services to Catholic schools around the state.