Over the course of 2023, our College has been developing a beautiful partnership with the Ngalangangpum School in Warmun. Warmun is a remote Aboriginal community located about two hours south of Kununurra in the beautiful Kimberley region of Western Australia. Our partnership has been built on mutual learning – it is an opportunity for their school to develop some Hospitality skills for their students, while our College gets the opportunity to learn more about a remote community context as well as developing an appreciation for Aboriginal history and culture. This week saw an exchange of our staff – Mr Iriks and Ms Ffoulkes have spent the week up in Warmun teaching classes and enjoying the tropical 40 degree weather, while Phil and Bernita from Warmun have spent the week engaging with our staff and students at Kolbe.
Sometimes it is so easy to get caught up in our own daily lives, and not consider the greater connection we share with others all around our planet. Anthropologist Maragret Mead once said, ‘We are all part of a complex web of cultures in which we must learn to see the value of other forms of life’. Our Aboriginal people present a wonderful example of this, as remote Aboriginal communities present us with an example of their rich heritage and deep connection with nature, which offers us a unique perspective that can greatly enhance our understanding of humanity. The sustainable practices adopted by many remote Aboriginal communities, such as the harmonious relationship with their environment and their minimal ecological footprint, serves as powerful examples for us in our quest for a more environmentally conscious lifestyle. Our students feel very deeply about caring for nature, and I hope this special partnership that we are developing with Ngalangangpum School will in time allow students from both schools to connect with each other, and learn deeply about the similarities and differences they share as they develop into young adults ready to transform the world.
As we head towards the end of a busy year, can I also take this time to wish our Year 12 students the best of luck as they sit their WACE examinations, as well as our Year 11 students who have just commenced their examinations. We also have our School Advisory Council AGM coming up on Tuesday 14 November, and all members of our College community are invited to attend this meeting, being held in our Staffroom at 6:00pm. Please note we have three vacancies on our School Advisory Council for 2024, and an interest of nomination can be forwarded to Ms Nita Beaumont, the Personal Assistant to the Principal, by Friday 10 November. We also have our Kolbe Families Christmas BBQ being held on Tuesday, December 5 at 6:00pm on the Avenue. I look forward to seeing many families there enjoying the musical talents of our students and enjoying a sizzling sausage or two. As I say frequently, it is our families that are the strength of our College, and I look forward to enjoying further celebrations as we draw towards the end of another action-packed year!
