Reconciliation

Journeying towards a reconciled future, in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities

Acknowledgement of Country and Traditional Owners

We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which our services operate and pay our respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging, of this land who, long before us, lived, loved and raised their children on this land. We also acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in our community and their deep physical and spiritual connections to their land.

Children’s Acknowledgement

We at St Nicholas

would like to say thank you

to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

for letting us share their land

We promise to look after it,

the animals and people too

Hello land,

hello sun,

hello everyone.

Cultural competence in practice

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Acknowledging traditional custodians

At St Nicholas, we recognise and pay our respects to the traditional custodians of the land on which we learn, play and grow. We acknowledge their ongoing connection to country and honor their rich cultures and heritage.

Celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures

We celebrate the vibrant and diverse cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Through engaging experiences, storytelling and art, we immerse children in the rich traditions, languages and customs of Australia’s First Nations.

Embedding cultural awareness in education

We believe in the power of education to promote understanding and respect. Our curriculum embraces cultural awareness, weaving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and knowledge into daily learning experiences. By fostering cultural understanding from an early age, we lay the foundation for a more inclusive society.

Fostering respect and understanding

Respect is a core value at St Nicholas. We actively encourage our children to respect and value all cultures, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Through open conversations and shared experiences, we foster a genuine appreciation and understanding of our diverse community.

Working towards reconciliation together

Reconciliation is an ongoing journey that requires collective effort. At St Nicholas, we actively collaborate with families, staff and the wider community to ensure our commitment to reconciliation is embedded in everything we do. Together, we are working towards a future of respect, equality and unity.

Reflect – Renconciliation Action Plan

Our vision for reconciliation is to promote a vision of a just society to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.

We acknowledge in the past, wrongful policies and practices by the Australian Government and Churches, including the Catholic Church, resulted in discrimination and disadvantage for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. This has caused many Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Peoples to experience discrimination and disadvantage at a level that causes great sorrow and shame to many Australians.

We acknowledge Human Rights policies and statements that recognise and protect the rights of indigenous people across the world and within Australia. In the Australian context, these declarations and documents relate to the rights of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. We must show special care to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities within the context of trauma-informed care.

We believe in the value of human dignity, which provides people with the capacity to develop fully. We hope that the Reflect RAP and future RAPs, will help the Diocese deliver reconciliation actions aimed at closing social and economic gaps to ensure the human dignity of all First Nations Peoples we engage with, employ, educate or assist.

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Please note:

Submitting a booking request or enquiry does not constitute a confirmed booking. No booking is confirmed until you have received email confirmation from St Nicholas.
For casual and Vacation Care bookings, we have a 5-day cancellation policy, after which the parent/carer will be liable for their full fees for that session. For permanent bookings, we have a 2-week cancellation policy.
One-off cancellations for permanent bookings still require the parent/carer to pay their full fees for that session, unless the cancellation is permanent, in which case the family will forfeit their permanent place for that session.