What begins in early July as a week-long celebration of Indigenous culture (NAIDOC week) always concludes with a significant theme such as Because of Her-We Can (2018) or Voice, Treaty, Truth (2019) leaving a great impression on all people.

Another great NAIDOC week concluded this Term of Week 2, inspired by the theme Heal Country — Heal our Nation 2021.

On Monday we had the much-anticipated Staff versus Student basketball game where, of course, the students came home with a win (as always), but it’s not about the win. Instead, we played in the Spirit of Reconciliation. On Tuesday, we had a panel of invited guests join us and to speak to us about ‘Racism’ where questions of particular derogatory terms were discussed and reiterated to not be mentioned at all in the community. On Wednesday, we had mural artists come in and paint the old Junior School power station for the remainder of the week, which was impressively painted up at the end of the week. That following afternoon we had Middle School students compete against the teachers in Volleyball, and finally, on Thursday, we concluded NAIDOC week with a whole school assembly, attended by the Honourable Ben Wyatt and all Indigenous girls from Penrhos College.

It was a spectacular day where proud Indigenous boy Jesse Motlop unveiled the 1^st AFL Football jersey, after the assembly, all our invited guests were led to the staff room where we had a delicious morning tea, discussing how awesome the week was and what can we do in the future to help protect Indigenous rights and how we can move forward hand in hand not just as an Aquinas community, but as an Australian community.

• Tremaine Baxter-Edwards, Year 9

My name is Jesse Motlop, and I’m a proud Larrakia man from the Darwin region in the Northern Territory.

Joining me is fellow Year 12 Student and 1st XVIII Footballer, Xavier Bradshaw-Pini.

Over the past 18 months, we have been sketching out a number of ideas. We have drafted many different jumper designs, using different colours, symbols, and styles. It wasn’t until late last term that we settled on a design that we were happy with, and we’re excited to present it.

On the front of the jumper, we see four white shields, these same shields can be seen as you enter the college at the roundabout. They each have a touchstone to represent the Edmund Rice Education Australia symbols but have been converted into Indigenous designs. The touchstones stand for:

• Liberating Education
• Gospel Spirituality
• Inclusive Community
• Justice and Solidarity

Across the front of the jumper and wrapped around the sides we see the Waugal, otherwise known as the snake. It was the Waugal that made the Noongar people custodians of the land so as a way to pay respect to the Wadjuk Noongar tribe, we have used the Waugal as a way to represent the group on this jumper, as this is their country that we play our sport on.

Some of you may have heard of a man by the name of Yagan, he was a Noongar leader and resistance fighter in the early 1800s and was feared by Europeans as a patriot fighting for his land. It is said that Yagan used to protect the point of Aquinas way before the College’s time, so to represent him we have included the four Red-Tailed Black-Cockatoo feathers on the jumper, the feathers of which Yagan use to wear on the top of his bandanna.

On the back of the jumper, you will see a river, this represents the Djarlgarra, also known as the Canning River. In the middle you will see a symbol to represent a meeting place, that is Aquinas College.

Designing the jumper has been an exciting project. Xav and I have put a lot of effort and time into this, and to be able to see the end product turn out this good is very rewarding.

Lastly, thank you to Aquinas for allowing Xav and I to embrace Aboriginal culture and history into the College’s 1st XVIII Footy jumpers. It's an awesome idea and a great way to celebrate NAICOC week.

The jumpers will be made available to purchase in the uniform shop in the upcoming weeks.

While young men and boys can and do excel in many types of educational institutions, schools for boys focus with intention on learning that addresses not only how to excel in academics but also how to grow into a young man of integrity and empathy.

In engaging and supportive single-sex environments, students explore their values and establish a foundation for making responsible decisions; they explore their own definitions of self, who they are and who they want to become; they learn to forge healthy relationships; they step out of their comfort zone to explore their full potential.

They are preparing for their roles in a globally connected world.

Here’s how that happens.

Read a brief overview of the past few weeks as written by the Heads of School.

Read a brief overview of the past few weeks as written by the Heads of School.

Captain Derwas Cumming’s Citations read by:

• CDTCPL Finn Chadd, Aquinas College Yr 12 Student
• CDTWO2 Isaac Klomp, Aquinas College Vice-Captain

both of 501 ACU Como

The Last Post sounded by:
Rory Watson, Aquinas College Yr 10 Student

Music by:
“Monckey” - Jedsen Monck
Aquinas College Yr 12 Student

I

In November of 2020, Aquinas College completed its 100^th Encounter Retreat which began in 1996.

Although the College has 24 Retreats each year, four of these are specially designed for 16-year-old boys. These are called Encounter Retreats and are an attempt at a ‘rite of passage' experience for the boys.

Each of these retreats is held over several days and nights at a campsite in Baldivis, about 40 km’s south of Perth. Over the years they have been much appreciated by the lads and their parents.

Paul O’Neill was the first student I approached for our initial Encounter Retreat. Since leaving school Paul has forged a compelling international career with the Berlin Opera Company in opera houses and concert halls throughout Europe and Australasia. Paul is now back home in Perth and gladly accepted an invitation to open the 100^th Encounter Retreat, and what a fine opening he gave us.

The retreats program was introduced for three reasons. Firstly, to give the boys a chance to open themselves, to themselves and God, i.e., to have a serious ENCOUNTER. Secondly to help combat the alarming rise in numbers of male suicides in Australia, and thirdly, my conviction of the latent power for good of positive peer pressure.

Incidentally, we always have a past pupil guest speaker for each Encounter Retreat. At our last Retreat Justin Langer was our speaker. What an inspiring presentation he gave us! He has done this about ten times over the past years. It is quite humbling to have him re-organise his heavy schedule as Coach of the Australian Cricket Team to be present, but he loves it, and so do we!

Cameron Bancroft has also been a guest speaker.

This was shortly after the ball-tampering incident. His genuine humility and words of wisdom were powerful witnesses for all present.

Nowadays I help in the running of our retreats, especially the Encounter Retreats. This includes training/coaching senior students to run group discussions and to give presentations to their younger peers.

Each senior student gives a 15-minute talk on a virtue he values, then leads a discussion. It’s positive peer pressure at its best. Gospel values and insights from Richard Rohr OFM, form the basis of the presentations.

We have estimated that over 5,000 students have completed an Encounter Retreat since 1996.

Paul O’Neill should be around for the 200th Encounter Retreat, but I have serious doubts about my own presence!

A proposal was first put forward in 1993 by the coaches, including legendary Aquinas Coaches Don O’Brien, Bob Brearley and Mike Scott for the replacement of the rowing shed.

A need for a new facility that could accommodate the growing boat fleet, ergometers, weight room, toilets and changerooms was proposed. 27 years later and the new River Centre provides that and more. An amazing facility that provides not just for the students of today, but for future generations of Aquinians to come.

The new facility has four rowing bays, one dinghy bay, and an Outdoor Ed bay housing kayaks and stand-up paddleboards. The bays have been named after legends of Aquinas Rowing.

• Brother Norm Wilson - the former Rowing Master of Aquinas whom the previous Boatshed was named after - keeps the ties to our Christian Brothers heritage.
• Brian Tonkin, who has been a part of Aquinas Rowing for over 50 years as a coxswain, coach, rowing master, and mentor for future generations.
• Nick Garratt, a four-time Olympic coach.
• Peter Hutchinson, an old boy whose efforts over such a long period have seen this project finally come to light.
• Stuart Reside, the College’s greatest oarsman and two-time Olympian and Bronze Medallist.

The building itself has been designed to incorporate the past and be adaptable for the future. The red brick façade around the building ties into the Main Building of the College and represents our past when the College first moved to its current location. The grey bricks that line the back of the building are the same type as those that stood strong in the previous Br N.N. Wilson Boatshed. From the water, the red brick and very dark grey steel front sit imposingly over Aquinas Bay as a red and black stripe across the shoreline.

Inside the facility, the boat, oar and Outdoor Ed racks have been designed to be completely reconfigurable as the sport evolves and the requirements of the building change. The weights room is three times the size of the previous school weights room and is set up in a US College style format. New toilet facilities and change room see the facility up to date with modern times. A dynamic learning space is also on the second floor, which provides rowers with the opportunity to do video review sessions, and as a new learning space for the college. The ergo room houses over thirty rowing machines, with a further ten bikes, and provides a spectacular view of Aquinas Bay.

Surrounding the walls of the ergo room, the history of Aquinas rowing is proudly displayed in framed photos and newspaper clippings, with memorabilia and artefacts on show in display cabinets. The rear wall of the boatshed sees a photo of every Aquinas First crew from 1899 to 2020 and awaits the current rowers to have their place on the wall. The River Centre proudly displays the incredibly successful history of Aquinas Rowing whilst providing a building that will adapt to provide success for both the current and future Aquinians.