Pride comes from many different places – what makes you proud?

Have you ever felt a warm, happy feeling inside after doing something good or special? This helpful happy feeling is called pride. It’s what you feel when you’ve achieved something great or helped someone out.

NAIDOC Week is celebrated from July 7 to 14 and we celebrate with the 2024 theme: Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud.

This special week is a time to honour the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Being proud of your heritage and learning about different cultures is important.

NAIDOC stands for National Aboriginals’ and Islanders’ Day Observance Committee.

During NAIDOC Week, you can participate in events and activities that celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. These can include art projects, storytelling sessions and learning about traditional music and dance. By participating, you show respect and appreciation for these rich cultures, and you can feel proud of being part of a community that values diversity and history.

Pride comes in many forms. Imagine you worked hard on a project at school and you got a great mark. That sense of achievement is pride. Or think about the time you decided to try out for the school soccer team, even though you were feeling nervous. Just by taking that brave step, you felt proud for having a go.

Helping others also brings pride. Remember the time you helped your friend understand a tricky math problem? Your friend was thankful, and you felt proud because your hard work helped make a difference. Acts of kindness, big or small, make you feel proud because they show you care for others.

Using kind words and actions, like complimenting a classmate or including someone who may be left out, makes others feel good. Knowing that you’ve brightened someone’s day can make you feel proud.

Now, let’s think about how you can make your family proud. Working hard at school is one way. When you pay attention and learn in class, complete your homework, and read daily, your family sees your dedication and effort. They feel proud because they know you are doing your best.

Being responsible can also make your family proud. Being organised and taking care of your responsibilities, like cleaning your room, helping out with household jobs or helping younger brothers and sisters, shows your family that they can rely on you.

Treating family members with love and kindness, listening when they talk, and helping when you can, shows that you value and respect them. These actions make your family proud because they see the goodness in your heart.

Life is full of new things to learn, like learning to ride a bike, or playing an instrument. When you keep trying without giving up, your family sees your courage and determination. They are proud of your resilience and strength.

Think about a time when you felt really proud. What did you do? How did it make you feel? Sharing these moments with your family or friends can inspire them. It helps everyone recognise their own moments of pride and encourages them to keep striving for their best.

Remember, pride is about doing your best, being kind and showing resilience. Every effort counts, and your family and friends will always be proud of you when you strive to be your best self. So go out there this NAIDOC Week, try new things, and make yourself proud – you’ve got this!

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