“We would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people, the first people to dream, create, wonder, dance, play and learn on this breathtaking land. This land was cared for and respected for tens of thousands of years. The First Nations people lived in companionship with the animals and the life on this land. We acknowledge that this is stolen land and we pay our respects to elders, past, present and emerging.”

Rayma Atkinson (2023 Suzanne Peterson Award Recipient)

Winter Solstice Event

We’d like to extend a big thank you to everyone who attended or contributed to our fantastic Winter Solstice event last Friday afternoon. It was wonderful to see families from all year levels coming together to enjoy music, marshmallows, warm drinks, and lantern making on a beautiful winter afternoon. It was yet another great example of the incredible work our CET does in planning events that bring our community together.

Yakai Barring Bush Playgroup

We have another small group of community volunteers who have been working away behind the scenes to organise something special for our school. Beginning next term, the school will be hosting a bush playgroup in Yakai Barring. The playgroup will be facilitated by Jess, Kerri and Lou. The playgroup aims to:

- encourage unstructured play

- play outdoors in all weather

- be adventurous; let children assess risks and gain independence

- welcome all; babies to school age and their grown ups

- love and care for the environment; look after this special site and foster connections to nature

Please look out for further details about the playgroup later in the newsletter.

Marrung Aboriginal Education Plan

Marrung is the Wemba Wemba word for the Murray Cypress pine tree, symbolising the branches of education and knowledge. It is also the name given to a plan developed by the Department in collaboration with members of the Victorian Koorie community. The plan aims to promote respect for Koorie culture and history and improve learning outcomes for Koorie students.

At BNWPS, Bev will be stepping into the role of Marrung Lead. In this role, she will guide us in reflecting on our practices and identifying ways to strengthen staff capacity to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives across the curriculum and within the school environment.

Bev will be attending a Marrung Lead professional development session this Thursday, and we look forward to sharing her reflections from the day.

Sprout