EMC Community Connection

Koorie Education 

& Engagement

KOORIE CHRISTMAS

 

We'd like to acknowledge the hard work of our Koorie (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) students to pull off another incredible Koorie Christmas for a 5th year.  They planned it, invited back the people and groups had visited and supported them throughout this year, designed and wrote thank you cards, and set up the space this morning then cleaned up afterwards and wrote and delivered some amazing speeches.  It was opened by Josh and Danny West of the Bunurong Land Council, Welcoming us to Country and doing a traditional smoking ceremony.

 

 

The speeches today were given by 8 Koorie students, and for some for of them this was the first time speaking at a school event, or in speaking in public at all.  They spoke with courage, conviction and pride to 124 people.  This year, EMC Koorie Christmas hosted 23 EMC Koorie students plus 30 of their friends, and 71 visitors including EMC Koorie alumni, families of current EMC Koorie students, EMC staff, DET representatives from the Koorie workforce at Region and Central offices, LPS and LPPS including incoming Year 7 2024 students, Mordialloc College, Korin Gamadji Institute of Richmond FC, First Peoples’ Health and Wellbeing, Victorian Electoral Commission and the Commission for Children and Young People.

 

Noah (Year 11 2024) finished the event by sharing something very heartfelt - 

 

This isn’t just a bunch of words to me. The way I feel about my culture, about my place at EMC, my confidence now to try new things – I want every young Aboriginal person to feel these things, to feel strong. I want us to feel hope.  Koorie Christmas has become part of our year that we can look forward to. This is our 5th Koorie Christmas, and it grew from about 15 people in 2019. Look at us now… Thank you all for supporting Koorie students and the wider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community connected to EMC. Thank you for acknowledging and celebrating the oldest living continuous culture in the world.  From first sunrise, to the last sunset, we’re still here. We’re. Still. Here.

 

The event highlights incredible achievements of EMC Koorie students (it’s a long list, and they wanted to make sure they got their chance to celebrate), and the event is reflective of their amazing work alongside allies and the EMC Koorie Education and Engagement in 2023.  We hope to share more details of future planning when our 4th Reconciliation Action Plan is published by Reconciliation Australia shortly.   

 

Successes achieved in 2023!

  • Jenaya B is the first Indigenous female student to become a EMC College Vice Captain for 2023
  • Year 11 Marrung Scholarship recipient (Marley B)
  • Student voice on HPE uniform and interschool sport uniforms 
  • New connection with MITS for SWL for Year 11 student  
  • Jenaya B won the Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Community award
  • KEE stall at open night with Koorie students vols  
  • Lara, Marley and Jenaya presented in two Year 12 psych classes about Aboriginal Ways of Learning which is part of the new study design
  • EMC National Reconciliation Week Flag Raising Ceremony
  • Frankston and Mornington Peninsula 2023 NAIDOC Youth Award - (Marley B)
  • Koorie Student of the Year - People's Choice Award - Jenaya B (Vic Training Awards)
  • Speech by Jenaya at BPA Year 12 Koorie celebration
  • Jenaya B was given role at NMD at Youth Engagement Officer
  • DET Inclusive Ed Koorie video  
  • Lara competed at the 2023 FISAF Sport Aerobics & Fitness World Championships in Belgium, where she placed 7th in the world with her team and 18th as a solo competitor