Indigenous Education
NAIDOC Week
Last week we celebrated NAIDOC Week! The theme for NAIDOC Week was 'Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud'. For NAIDOC Week we had a few events and activities on during the week to enable students to experience Indigenous Education.
On Monday we began the week with Jack and Eli our FIRE Carrier leaders, leading us in a prayer and a reflection. In the classroom, students designed a hand, heart or a person that is influenced by Indigenous art or flag colours. On Tuesday we then placed these into the garden.
On Tuesday-Thursday in Huff and Puff, we played some Indigenous games! The games were called Kangaroo Relay ( relay), Puloga (tag and dodgeball), Kai-wed (keep up the beach ball) and Weet-weet (throw the target in the hoop).
On Wednesday we had some Lunchtime activities including colouring, painting and bead making!
On Thursday each class created a piece of Inidgenous-themed art. The F/1/2 students had wooden animals that they decorated using special Posca Pens. The grade 3/4 students create an Indigenous artwork using symbols and Australian animals. They used scratch paper to make their artwork. The grade 5/6 students create woollen turtles using wool and paddle pop sticks!
On Friday students read some Indigenous literature and completed some activities about the book. The grade 3/4 students read 'Silly Birds' and created some silly birds of their own. The F/1/2 students read 'Our Home, Our Heartbeat' which was about famous Indigenous Australians. After they read this they created some fact files about these important people.
Opening the Doors Walk-a-thon
Next week from Tuesday-Friday we will be participating in a walk-a-thon to raise money for the Opening the Doors Foundation which raises money for Indigenous students to be able to access education and educational resources. Your child would have received a sponsor sheet and an envelope for their donations. All donations are due by August 2nd.
There is also a link to our donation page if you prefer to donate online: https://opening-the-doors-foundation-together-we-walk-2024.raisely.com/t/st-josephs-yarra-junction-primary-school
Please donate only what you can. We are mindful of the cost of living pressure families are under. Anything you are able to contribute would be greatly appreciated.