First Nations Report 

Here we are in week 9 already and with less than 2 weeks left of Term 1 and the Easter break approaching, our First Nations mob have shared many Yarns, celebrated a birthday with yummy chocolate cake, and begun planning our NAIDOC celebrations for this coming July.

Another exciting event from a few weeks ago was our First Nations Leaders and Year 11 students, Tyler Hullah and Lucas Gale, being invited to a principals' conference to deliver the Acknowledgement of Country. This was a truly special moment, with both boys speaking confidently in front of over 100 principals—showing no signs of nerves!

I can’t say the same for myself, but I was incredibly proud of these two leaders within our Woodman’s Hill Secondary College community. Tyler and Lucas have been actively involved in our group since Year 7, consistently demonstrating outstanding leadership in everything they do. Well done, boys!"

Next term, we are excited to kick off our Nallei Jerring program in partnership with the Western Bulldogs. This program includes several sessions for our First Nations students aged 12-15, alongside students from other Ballarat schools.

Throughout the program, we will develop leadership skills, enjoy bush tucker events, work with Elders and prestige artists, and have the opportunity to meet AFL and AFLW First Nations players for a Q&A session at Whitten Oval.

This year, we are also fortunate to have a local camp included, which will be an incredible experience for all students involved. I look forward to reporting back on our first session which kicks off in May.