NAIDOC Week

Wominjeka everyone,

NAIDOC Week 2026 will be celebrated from 5th -12th July, during the upcoming school holidays. This year's theme, "50 Years of Deadly", celebrates 50 years of recognising and honouring the histories, cultures, achievements and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The word "deadly" is widely used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as a positive expression meaning excellent, impressive, awesome or outstanding. The theme recognises the strength, resilience, achievements and cultural pride of Australia's First Peoples over the past 50 years and beyond.

Although NAIDOC Week falls during the holidays, Essendon North Primary School will be acknowledging and celebrating this important event during Weeks One and Two of Term Three. Students will participate in a range of learning experiences that explore Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures, stories and perspectives, while developing a deeper appreciation for the world's oldest continuing cultures.

Throughout these two weeks, students will have opportunities to showcase their learning within their classrooms and at school assemblies. These celebrations will highlight the knowledge, creativity and understandings students have gained while learning about the rich cultural heritage and ongoing contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We also encourage families to celebrate NAIDOC Week over the holidays, and have included two pages from the Supporting NAIDOC Toolkit outlining ways to be involved.

At ENPS, we are committed to fostering respect, understanding and reconciliation by creating meaningful opportunities for all students to learn about and celebrate the diversity, strength and enduring legacy of Australia's First Peoples.

We look forward to sharing our students' learning and celebrations with our school community throughout Term Three.

Kind regards,

The ENPS Community Engagement and Cultural Inclusion Team and Marrung Champions