ATSI NEWS

It has been a busy term. To celebrate Reconciliation Week our art teacher, Melissa Thiele, planned a unit of work based on Aboriginal contemporary artist Jimmy Pike’s artwork and used artwork of other Aboriginal artists from a Tarnanthi exhibition at the Art Gallery of South Australia. Students looked at the work objectively, focussing on the elements of the artworks – colour, different types of lines, space and shape elements and the use of colour and used this for inspiration to create their own artwork. Student work was exhibited in Penney Space, the library and outside Castle unit and celebrated at the Week 4 assembly. I hope you have seen the great artwork.

In Reconciliation Week we had a barbecue on Sorry Day. Thank you to Jharni for organising it and a big thank you to Jharni and her Dad, Jimmy, who provided the food and cooked it as well. Students and staff were encouraged to wear a splash of yellow and give a gold coin donation for a special fundraiser. The money raised was $160-. The funds supported Children’s Ground, who create First Nations led education tools. Culture Beats came to the school and the Aboriginal students in Year 2-6 were taught a dance and, as a group, wrote a song for Reconciliation Week.

We also had a Meet and Greet with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island families. Thank you to the families who were able to attend. Everyone enjoyed the pizzas and families were able to give us feedback about our school community. One of the questions was what the role of the Aboriginal Education Teacher (AET) and the Aboriginal Community Education Officer ACEO?

The role of the Aboriginal Education Teacher (AET) is to support closing the gap through literacy and numeracy intervention, to support the implementation of First Nations perspectives in the curriculum and to work alongside classroom teachers with the learning needs of First Nations students.

The role of our Aboriginal Community Education Officer (ACEO) is to create relationships between the school and families of our First Nations families. To promote Aboriginal voices into educational decision making and to advocate for our First Nations children and families.

NAIDOC Week Vili’s Donuts Order Form – Tjindu Foundation

Have you ordered your donuts yet? To celebrate NAIDOC Week in week 10, students will be able to purchase an Aboriginal Flag donut or a Torres Strait Island Flag Donut.  50 Cents from the sale of each donut goes to Tjindu Foundation. The Tjindu Foundation creates positive, long-term change for Aboriginal children in communities across South Australia through cultural education and success in schooling that enables them to become future leaders. Cost will be $2.50. Please complete the order form that was sent home and return it with payment to Tracy Rowley, the Finance Officer, by Wednesday 26th June. Donuts will be distributed on Thursday 4th July.

NAIDOC IN THE South Family Fun Day and March

NAIDOC IN THE South Family Fun Day and March is presented by Neporendi Aboriginal Forum Inc, in partnership with the City of Onkaparinga, the Southern Elders Advisory Group, and Neporendi Aboriginal Community Centre with support from Joining Hands and Minds network members. This year the Event will start with a March down Beach Road Christies Beach starting at the ‘the original open market’ site at 121 Beach Rd, Christies Beach and conclude with a free, family fun day event in Rotary Park. Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff will be attending. Notes went home on Wednesday.