Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS)

Celebrating NAIDOC Week @ WPS 

NAIDOC Week took place in the first week of the holidays (6–13 July), marking 50 years of honouring the strength, vision, and legacy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

This year’s theme—“The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy” - invited us to honour past accomplishments while looking confidently towards the future. 

To commemorate this important milestone, we were honoured to welcome Aunty Kelly and Uncle Brett to our school for a special Indigenous Incursion designed for our Koorie students. Each student was invited to bring a friend, and we were also delighted to be joined by our new Koorie Engagement Support Officer (KESO), Talina Ellis.

The incursion offered students a rich, hands-on experience in cultural knowledge and storytelling. Students learned about traditional ways of life and survival across different mobs. As part of the program, each student painted a terracotta pot with a personal story and planted it with a native bush tucker species. While their creations dried, students gathered to hear a Dreamtime story and explore the Bush Tucker plant known as "pig face."

The day was a meaningful and engaging celebration of culture, and students thoroughly enjoyed learning from Aunty Kelly and Uncle Brett. We are grateful for the opportunity to connect with and learn from First Nations voices in such a memorable and respectful way.

A special mention to Nathan M from Year 5 for Acnowledging Country at the beginning of the session. I was so proud of the way you spoke from your heart - you made me very proud. 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Amy Carter

(MHiPS)