Learning and Teaching
Reconciliation week 27 May - 3 June
“We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land, the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong peoples of the Kulin Nation and pay our respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging.”
This week marks the start of Reconciliation Week for 2021. The acknowledgement of Country above links to the traditional owners of the land in Maribyrnong so is strongly connected to our community.
As a school, we have chosen to recognise the theme of Reconciliation through Literacy. Each year level explored the meaning of the Acknowledgement of Country as well as exploring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives through literature.
In Prep, they read traditional stories and identified the parts of the story. The stories they read linked to their Inquiry unit about animals and habitats.
The Year 1 and 2 Community explored the text Welcome to Country. They were developing their understanding and respect of the cultural importance of a welcome to country.
You can view and listen to Welcome to Country at Story Box Library. Use our school login to access.
The Year 3 and 4 Community researched about Aboriginal Maribyrnong and what Reconciliation week means. They created concept maps for these.
They also read the book Sorry Day and analysed the text by comparing the experiences and emotions of Maggie and other children in the story.
“Sorry Day follows Maggie and her mother, who watch the Prime Minister give his apology to the Stolen Generations on behalf of the Australian Government. Two stories entwine in this captivating retelling of the momentous day when Australia acknowledged the sorrows of past.”
You can view and listen to Sorry Day at Story Box Library. Use our school login to access.
The Year 5 and 6 Community looked at the elements of the Reconciliation poster. They analysed it by exploring the symbols within the poster. They then used these symbols to create their own posters for Reconciliation Week. As a community, they furthered this learning by creating narratives about the stories their posters tell.
The Year 5/6 community also read Sorry Day and connected this to the song lyrics They Took The Children Away which deepened their understanding of the concepts in the book.
For more information on Reconciliation week, see the NRW website.
Deborah Courtney
Director of Learning and Teaching