Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education

Gumaraa Workshops

Next week, all students from K-6 will have the opportunity to participate in Indigenous cultural workshops run by Gumaraa, based on the traditions of the Dharawal and Yuin Nation. Students will be participating in a smoking ceremony, exploring bush tucker, artefacts and weaponry, and participating in dance and boomerang throwing. An OPT OUT note has been sent via Enews. 

Nanga Mai Awards

The Nanga Mai Awards celebrates and recognises Aboriginal and or Torres Strait Islander students in NSW Department of Education Schools who demonstrate excellence across a diversity of areas. This year, Oak Flats Public School nominated Sienna F in the area of Outstanding Achievement in Performing, Creative and Visual Arts and Ethan B in the area of Outstanding All Round Student. Whilst they were unsuccessful in winning the state award, we are so proud of the contribution that these two remarkable students make to Oak Flats Public School every day.

Aboriginal Education Committee Parent Meeting

We are looking forward to our final Aboriginal Education Committee Parent Meeting of 2022 which will be held next Wednesday, 7 December 2022 at 3.15pm until 4.15pm in the library. 

The aim for the meeting which will run for approximately 1 hour will be to:

1. Review Aboriginal Education at Oak Flats Public School in 2022

2. Identify and plan further opportunities to enhance Aboriginal Education at Oak Flats Public School and further strengthen school partnerships with parents, carers and families in 2023.

All parents, carers and families are welcome to attend. A letter was sent home last week, and we ask that you RSVP by returning the reply slip or via telephone or email by Tuesday, 6 December 2022. 

Aboriginal Perspectives in Stage 1

This term, Stage 1 students have been exploring Aboriginal perspectives in English and Physical Education. 

In English, we have been reading the local Dreaming Stories, The Story of Five Islands and Gurangaty and engaging in the art created by the children and youth of Coomaditchie. 

We have also been participating in traditional Indigenous games in Physical Education. Students have played juluhya a favourite pastime of the Aboriginal children in the Numinbah Valley area of south Queensland involving rolling small round pebbles down long sheets of bark, mer kolap an object-throwing game played in the Torres Strait on Mer Island, wana wana a game played by the young Noongar girls in the southwest of Western Australia where one girl uses her wana (digging stick) to stop the other girls hitting a short stick placed on the ground, and battendi a spear and wommera game played by Aboriginal people in the Lake Murray, Lake Alexandrina and Lake Albert areas of southern Australia. 

Mrs Chatterton on behalf of the Aboriginal Education Committee