Aboriginal Education Officer's Report 

Aboriginal Education News

By Helen Wenner, WWHS Aboriginal Education Officer

Yaama. We are excited to be celebrating NAIDOC Week this week - Monday 26th to 30th June 2023. Much planning has gone in to preparing a rich program of knowledge sharing, art, community engagement and story telling. The theme for this year’s NAIDOC Week is 'For Our Elders' 

Our week-long program has included;

• Monday 26th June - Clinton Lamb - Cultural Story Telling
• Tuesday 27th June - NAIDOC School Assembly, Elder's Lunch, Indigenous Sports, Elder's Tour Of The New WWHS Binaalbaa Centre
• Wednesday 28th June - Emu Egg Etching Workshop
• Thursday 29th June - Boomerang Making Workshop
• Friday 20th June - NAIDOC Week School BBQ Lunch & Celebration Cake 

Secondary School Scholarships

We are proud to announce that two of our students have been awarded $1,000 DCJ Scholarships this year. All Aboriginal students in Years 10, 11 and 12 had the opportunity to apply and we'd like to commend O'Shea Green (Year 11) and Lataya Gordon (Year 12) for seizing the opportunity. These scholarships are able to be used on costs that directly assist with their secondary education. Please join me in congratulating both students.

Sista Speak 

On the 12th May our Sista Speak program started back. Funded by the Department of Education, the theme for 2023 is 'Career Ready' and Sista Speak Co-ordinators have engaged with a number of local Aboriginal women from across our Shire to share the story of their career journey with our students. This year's program is focused on inspiring our young women to dream big about their career and how anything is possible if you have a goal and work hard to achieve it.

School Representative Council

This year we have four Aboriginal students selected as members of our School Representative Council. They are; Makayla Copeline, Ernest Green, Tanah Knight, Lacey Evans. 

Each of the students have become proficient in performing the Acknowledgement of Country in language and proudly take it in turns to do this each week at the school assembly.

Personal Learning Plans

Almost all Aboriginal students' Personal Learning Plans (PLSs) have been completed. We would like to thank parents who attended interviews with their children, myself and the their Year Adviser to discuss and design the plan.

Reconciliation Week 

The theme for this year's Reconciliation Week was 'Be A Voice For Generations To Come'. I'd like to say a special thank you to our Aboriginal School Representative Councillors for their participation and for the address they gave at the school assembly. The beautiful cake that was organised by the school was greatly appreciated and enjoyed by ev

Uniforms

A reminder that items of school uniform are available at the school using your child’s $500 flood grant. 

Helen Wenner 

Aboriginal Education Officer