Cultural News - Week 8
St Mary's School Mooroopna
Ganbina Education Scholarships
Ganbina's Primary School Education Scholarships are designed to help Aboriginal & Torres Straight Islander familes cover some of the education expenses.
The 2025 Scholarships are open to Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander children from Foundation to Grade 6 who are attending primary school in the Goulburn Valley Area.
For further information please see the attached flyer or contact Ganbina's Primary Education Program Officer - Sharni Beeton on 0438 217 399 or St Mary's Koori Educator - Tahlia Cooper on 5825 2858.
DANCE WORKSHOP
Our indigenous girls from Yr 3 to Yr 6 will participate in dance lessons with Thara Brown from Wala Connections. This session will be on Friday 27th June for the whole day. Mrs Dyke and Tahlia will collect students and participate with them in the Marian Centre. At Assembly next week, the students will perform for us. We look forward to having them share with us what they have learnt.
NAIDOC WEEK
We have some fun and engaging activities organised for NAIDOC Week this year. NAIDOC Week is celebrated during the school holidays – Sunday 6th July to Sunday 13th July. NAIDOC Week is an Australian observance lasting from the first Sunday in July until the following Sunday. The acronym NAIDOC stands for National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee. NAIDOC Week has its roots in the 1938 Day of Mourning, becoming a week-long event in 1975. This year NAIDOC celebrates 50 years. We will celebrate NAIDOC Week in the last week of this term.
During that week, classes will focus on this year’s theme. The theme for NAIDOC Week 2025 is "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy". This theme recognizes the achievements of the past while looking forward to the bright future, driven by young leaders, community vision, and the legacy of ancestors. Students will explore the artist, Jeremy Morgan Worrall, who create the poster that promotes this year’s theme.
During the week we will also have a variety of activities such as:
- Tahlia will run Indigenous Games during lunch or recess during the week
- FIRE Carriers will make hopscotch games with chalk on the Concrete Area with Yorta Yorta symbols and will invite children to play during a Recess or Lunchtime.
- Classes to enter the NAIDOC Week colouring competition for Foundation to Yr 2 (We had a winner last year!)
- Classes to enter Yr 3 – 6 category with the poetry competition
SHORT BLACK OPERA
Next week we hope to have some of our Indigenous students participate in the Short Black Opera program from Monday 30th June to Friday 4th July. On the Friday, the week concludes with a performance at 12 pm at Westside. All are welcome to attend.
Please see Tahlia Cooper or Mrs Dyke for more information.
Let Mrs Dyke know if you need support travelling to and from school for that week. cdyke@smmooroopna.catholic.edu.au
Local Culture & Customs
Next Monday, Tahlia has invited in her dad, Neil Cooper, to show our students some artifacts and to share cultural dance with the Juniors. All classes across the school will have a session with Neil to learn more about local culture and customs.
The University of Melbourne’s Indigenous STEM Education Program (MISEP)
Next Wednesday, the Yr 5/6s have MISEP – The University of Melbourne’s Indigenous STEM Education Program (MISEP). They will showcase Indigenous STEM knowledges in classrooms through a series of engaging, hands-on, Indigenous-led, curriculum-based workshops. The program aims to ensure the next generation gains a love of STEM-based enquiry, and recognises, respects and better understands the impact & role of Indigenous knowledges on the past, present and future of STEM. The workshops focus on the breadth of knowledge and connection First Nations peoples have with Country and their relationship to Western STEM concepts through the elements of sky, fire & water. These workshops have been developed by Indigenous students and academics, Elders and knowledge holders, as well as other academic experts. The sessions are delivered by Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander staff and University students. We look forward to having them teach us these STEM lessons.
COMMUNITY EVENT
Significant dates during Term 2 include:
Week 11 - Monday 30th June - Friday 4th July - NAIDOC Week (usually falls during the school holidays July 6th – 13th July) but we will celebrate early.
Workshops
Girls Indigenous Program
Boys Indigenous Program
Acknowledgement of Country
At St Mary’s Primary School Mooroopna we Acknowledge the Traditional people of this land. The Yorta Yorta Nation are the Traditional Custodians of this area and we remember their elders, past, present and future. We remember that the Aboriginal people of Australia will always be the traditional owners of the land on which we gather today. We continue to grow through education and reconciliation to a better future for all Australians.
