Year 5 Spotlight

Yarning Conference

More than 430 Year 5 students across Darebin gathered at Bundoora Park for the Darebin Schools NAIDOC Yarning Conference, including representatives from FPS. The conference provides students with the opportunity to learn about First Nations culture and history – directly from local Elders and First Nations organisations.

Here are some reflections from our student participants:

Two weeks ago was the Yarning conference at Bundoora Park. We learnt about lots of indigenous elders and heritage, and found out how important Simon Wonga was for the First Nations people. Before the conference, we made posters for the chant. Huey did Aunty Nora Elsie and Jethro and I did Uncle Allen Charles. We learnt about Simon Wonga leading aboriginal people to a home and founded Coranderrk station. 

 

On the morning we got our posters and went to the conference. When  we got there, we went to a little stage. On it were two of the people from Clothing The Gap, who led the whole thing. Uncle Bill did a Welcome to Country. We sang the ‘Colour of Your Jumper’, by Archie Roach. Then we went to our groups and our school did weaving. We made bracelets with the colours yellow black and red. 

After we had lunch then we did a march around shouting ‘ALWAYS WAS, ALWAYS WILL BE ABORIGINAL LAND’ showing off our signs. After we went back to the stage we showed off our signs some more then we sang ‘Colour of Your Jumper’ again. 

 

~ By Clyde and Huey, 5B

When the bus arrived, I was nervous. Mainly because I had never been to a Yarning Conference before – also because not a lot of my friends were coming. But I was so wrong to be scared. The only way to describe the conference is to declare that it was an amazing, fun and brilliant experience with lovely countryside, games, and meeting interesting and lovely people. Add to the mix; activities I enjoyed so much, (including making a really cool woven bracelet), a Welcome to Country, and friends from different schools. And that, to be perfectly honest, makes it the absolute best yarning conference ever.

 

~ Charlie, 5C

Click to find out more about the Darebin Yarning Conference.

~ Year 5 Teachers (Gemma, Rosie, Lauren, & Lucy) and Students