ALL In is this year’s theme for Reconciliation Week, a call to action for every Australian to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every day.
With education at the heart of this understanding, and as a powerful driver of reconciliation, All Saints Anglican School welcomed Yorta Yorta Aboriginal singer-songwriter, educator and speaker Scott Darlow to campus on Tuesday, June 2. Joined by his daughters, Kiah and Summer, he brought the message to life through music, conversation and a celebration of what it truly means to be Australian.
Beginning with a whole-school assembly, followed by year-level workshops, the sessions combined music, storytelling and open conversation. Students were invited not only to learn about Aboriginal culture and history, but also to reflect on their place within it and their role in reconciliation.
As a diverse and vibrant school community grounded in faith, respect, excellence and inclusion, the visit deepened students’ understanding of what it means to be Australian as part of a resilient and harmonious community. It also reinforced what a genuine commitment to reconciliation, shaped by understanding, respect and a willingness to listen, truly looks like.
And, by all accounts, it was also a great deal of fun.
For Year 7 student Penelope Sole, learning the song Ngarra Burra Ferra with Kiah and Summer was both enjoyable and meaningful:
“We learned what it is to be Australian and how you don’t need to be born in Australia to be Australian, it comes from within. If you’re part of your community, you work with everyone, take part in everyday life and believe that you are Australian, then you are. It doesn’t matter what skin colour you are or what culture you come from, you can still be Australian when you’re part of the community.”
While Grade 6 and Year 7 students immersed themselves in music, Year 9 students engaged with Scott as he led a discussion on the importance of acknowledging Aboriginal history, highlighting the traditions of a culture spanning more than 65,000 years, as well as the enduring impact of colonisation and generational trauma.
Running throughout the talk and the day was the acronym FLUTE, which guides students towards meaningful reconciliation through Forgiveness, Love, Understanding, Tolerance and Empathy.
