Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island News
Strengthening Our Mob Program
Strengthening Our Mob was back this week for Year 7 and 8, doing a well-being and self-care workshop. They spoke about how we can manage and provide ourselves with self-care and what activities or strategies we can use to help us manage our well-being. We also spoke about gratitude and what we are grateful for; all students said their families.
On Wednesday, 15 May, Strengthening Our Mob presented a Time Management workshop. The students participated by answering questions about how well they use their time to complete school homework and assessments on time. Examples were sports activities, homework, assessment due dates, and other activities. The tools used for time management were calendars, chunking, study timetables, and activity timetables.
On Wednesday, 15 May, Years 7 & 8 participated in a Time Management workshop. Where we learnt to prioritise certain things in our lives. We talked about procrastination and why we do this, we also looked at things and ways to motivate ourselves.
On Wednesday, 22 May, Years 7 & 8 participated in a workshop on Self-esteem. We watched a video on building your character, we learnt how to recognise a person with low self-esteem, the causes of low self-esteem and watched a motivational video on self-esteem.
On Wednesday, 5 June, we completed a workshop on Feminine Hygiene. We played a bingo game on Feminine Hygiene, we learnt some keywords, we watched a video on Period Hygiene, we learnt about Feminine Hygiene practices, and at the end, we made up a period pack, which was all given to us by Strengthening Our Mob.
On Wednesday, 19 June, Strengthening Our Mob did a workshop on Stress Management. How to manage those feelings of stress and anxiety, what makes you stressed, how to deal with your stress & anxiety. Then the girls finished off their canvas paintings.
On Wednesday, 26 June, we had our last session for the term. Strengthening our Mob provided us with a lovely breakfast. We finished off our canvas paintings.
Horizon Bangarra Performance
On Wednesday, 19 June, we attended the school's special performance by Bangarra. The performance was where sea meets sky, the horizon we all look to, the compass that guides us home. Moss Te Ururangi Patterson Māori choreographer & Deborah Brown Bangarra alumna combined together to deliver this piece. It was an award-winning ensemble of stories that honour their mother countries and the spirit that calls them home.
South Cares Program
South Cares Program began this week, Monday, 13 May, in Period 5. They started by setting Term 2 goals. They then moved on to a worksheet about the artwork they will be commencing this term, which asked the students who their mob is, what their totem is, and what symbol would represent their school.
A big congratulations to Lillie Loveridge, a Souths Cares participant, who was selected to represent the South Sydney Rabbitohs at the upcoming NRL Youth Summit. This summit will consist of 5 days of cultural and leadership activities in the lead-up to the Indigenous Round.
On Monday, 24 June, South Cares came to school. We started to draw some ideas for our painting project. The girls needed to think about what schools, family and community means to them. The girls drew some great symbols to represent their school, family and communities. Next term, we will begin to place these on the canvas.
Achievements
On Sunday, 19 May, Kasey Russell (Under 13’s) and Tess Doyle (Under 14’s) played in a netball carnival in Liverpool. It was an early start to the day arriving at Liverpool netball courts at 7:30am and playing 6 games. Well done, Kasey and Tess.
On Saturday, 25 May, Kasey Russell, in recognition of the Indigenous Round of Rugby League, danced with her dance group Brolga at the South vs. Parramatta game. She will also dance at the State of Origin game on Wednesday, 4 June. What a wonderful experience for her!
On Sunday, 16 June, Kasey Russell participated in a Netball carnival for Randwick. Her team came 2nd overall in the carnival. Well Done. Kasey also received overall MVP for all the Netball carnivals she had participated in over the last couple of months. Kasey was also selected as a shadow in the Under 13 Representative team due to her hard work, improvement and dedication over the last year. Congratulations Kasey!
On Saturday, June 15, Kasey Russell danced for BrolgaElite. She danced for a Gala Dinner for Jarjums, the Aboriginal School in Redfern. This school was founded by two of the real icons of Redfern: Mum Shirl and Father Ted. Kasey said, “What a privilege it was to dance for such a wonderful school that mentors, educates, and assists local disadvantaged children to complete an education.” Well done, Kasey!
Professional Learning:
On Tuesday, 28 May, I went and listened to Aunty Brenda Matthews speak at Redfern Community Centre. Brenda Matthews is a film director, speaker, Indigenous Director of Learning Circle Australia and the author of “The Last Daughter”. "The Last Daughter" encapsulates heartbreak, love, forgiveness, hope, and the idea of bringing the country together. Brenda’s first memories were of growing up in a loving white foster family, before she was suddenly taken away and returned to her Aboriginal family. Decades later, she feels disconnected from both halves of her life. But the trauma of her past does not lie quietly buried. She goes searching for the foster family with whom she had lost all contact with. Along the way, she uncovers long-buried secrets, government lies and the possibility of deeper connections to family and culture. The Last Daughter is a documentary about Brenda’s life journey to unearth the truth about her past and to reconcile the two sides of her family.
Aunty Brenda is an inspiration to us all, and how from healing comes forgiveness.
Please don't hesitate to contact me regarding your daughter.
Natalie Harkins
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Support Officer