Reconciliation Action Group 

Poetry and Art Workshop, Ngununggula Gallery 

First Nations students were invited to participate in an art and poetry workshop to create a community artwork for Bowral Hospital. The event was held at Ngununggula Gallery in March, and was hosted by Red Room Poetry, led by Award-winning Gunai artist and poet Kirli Saunders, alongside Gundungurra Elder Aunty Sharyn Halls and Educator Mel Wiya. Students explored local stories of Country to inspire and create beautiful poetry and a community artwork for the Bowral Hospital. 

Poems created in the workshop are published on the Red Room Poetry website and were celebrated during NAIDOC week. 

Reconciliation Week – Remote OpShop Project 

To acknowledge Reconciliation Week, the Reconciliation Action Group, along with a number of other volunteers, organised a clothing drive to support the Nganmarriyanga Op Shop, located 350km from Darwin in the Northern Territory.

Chevalier targeted teenagers who often get over-looked as recipients of clothing and other goods. Students, staff and the wider Chevalier community donated high-quality items that were gratefully received and distributed by the Nganmarriyanga Op Shop. 

In total, we sent over 150kg of clothing and footwear. This included 100 brand new Moss Vale Public School rugby tops that were distributed to the children of the local primary school. Teachers distributed the tops to the children as a way to lift spirits after the tragic loss of a young member of the community only weeks before our parcels arrived.

The Chevalier Community is encouraged to continue to support the Remote OpShop Project. Details can be found by following this link: https://www.remoteopshopproject.org/

NAIDOC Week (Term 3, Week 2)

Earlier this term, the Reconciliation Action Group along with the Osborne House Captains and other supporters, organised a week of traditional sports and art workshops.

Students played Marn Grook, the inspiration behind the development of the game we know as Australian Rules football, as well as a traditional cricket-like game. For those more artistic, gumleaf painting and a community artwork aimed to celebrate this year’s theme of ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud’.