Over the past two weeks, Kolbe has had an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge two important dates in Australia, Harmony Day and Neurodiversity Celebration Week.
As we reflect on the moments of connection that have taken place across the college, we are reminded of just how important it is to build a community in which every student feels seen, valued, and able to fully belong.
Harmony Day saw a sea of orange t-shirts and accessories, with our Year 12 Captains hosting a lively game of musical chairs at recess to add to the fun. During lunch, we were fortunate to be able to host a talented group of young people from the Chinese Kung Fu and Tai Chi Academy to perform an amazing lion dance for our students. The performance is traditionally held in the Lunar New Year to symbolise and bring good fortune and prosperity for the year ahead. It was a fantastic show, with lots of audience participation, and many students being invited to ‘feed’ the lion red envelopes for good luck!
During Neurodiversity Celebration Week, there were a number of engaging displays and activities in the WLC, showcasing some of the wonderful talents and achievements of some of the greatest inventors, artist, and creators in history! Thanks to the generous support of the P&F we were also able to organise Silent Disco’s at lunch time throughout the week, much to the delight of our students. Silent discos use special headphones and a series of transmitters to create inclusive experiences for all students, allowing individualised control over noise and sensory input. They were a hit with the students that visited and we can’t wait to find more opportunities to use them throughout the year.
Celebrations like these matter because they reflect the world that our young people are growing up in. Their messages go beyond a single day or week, reminding us that inclusion is not merely the absence of ‘exclusion’, instead it is the active, ongoing, and intentional commitment to belonging. Difference is not something to be merely tolerated, it is something to be recognised, respected and celebrated. Whether that difference is found in culture, language, identity, learning, communication or the way a person experiences the world, it is part of what strengthens our community and helps it grow.
