National Reconciliation Week at Hampton Primary School

Over the course of the next fortnight, our school will be celebrating National Reconciliation Week (NRW). It is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively. Reconciliation must live in all Australians' hearts, minds, and actions as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The theme this year is 'Be Brave. Make Change' which motivates us as a school to ensure we deliver on the actions outlined in our Reconciliation Action Plan. Change begins with brave actions in your daily life – where you live, work, play and socialise. To learn more about the actions that you might be able to take visit:

To celebrate National Reconciliation Week across the school we will be:

Engaging in NRW activities in the classroom
Running year level Storytime sessions at lunchtime in the Library with high-quality Indigenous texts from our First Nations Knowledge Centre
Offering Indigenous Games and Activities through our student clubs
Displaying the many amazing entries for the Ellen Jose Reconciliation Award in the form of a 'Reconciliation Wall' at school.
Running a special Reconciliation themed assembly next Friday.

The Bayside City Council Ellen Jose Reconciliation Awards

The Ellen José Student Reconciliation Awards honour the life of Torres Strait Elder Ellen José. Ellen’s contribution to the arts and Bayside was outstanding and inspirational in raising awareness of reconciliation. Established in 2018, the awards are aimed at Bayside primary and secondary school students, bringing awareness of reconciliation to our young people, who are the future of Australia, through art and writing. Entrants are asked to interpret "What Reconciliation means through their eyes" in their artwork or writing piece.

Our Art teacher, Danni Peebles has worked with students to submit a considerable number of high quality entries to the competition this year in both Junior (Foundation - Year 3) and Senior (Year 4 - 6) categories. A total of 20 finalists were announced from across Bayside and staggeringly, 11 of them are from Hampton!

Congratulations to the following students:

Junior Category

Jacob 3B, Sami 3A, Mina 3D, Molly 3A

Senior Category

Zoe 4B, Lucy 4B, Sienna M 5B, Skylar 5B, Charlotte 5C, Sasha 6B, Eva 6B

The winners will be announced at a special ceremony on Saturday 28th May at Bayside City Council. In the next newsletter, we will share the entries of our finalists but for now enjoy a snapshot of some of the high quality entries submitted:

Did you know?

Melbourne is known for having four seasons in one day. But did you know there are seven seasons in the Kulin seasonal calendar. The lands of the Eastern Kulin people include the Dandenong Ranges, near Melbourne, which they refer to as the 'cold country'. The Kulin have a detailed local understanding of the seasons and the environment. Each season is marked by the movement of the stars in the night sky and changes in the weather, coinciding with the life cycles of plants and animals.

Currently, we are in Waring Wombat Season (April-July). During this season:

Cool, rainy days follow misty mornings. The time of highest rainfall and lowest temperatures.
Waring (wombats) emerge to bask and graze in the sunshine.
Bulen-bulen (Superb Lyrebird) males perform their courtship displays.
Hearts of Kombadik (Soft Tree-ferns) are the major food when no fruits are available.
Days are short and nights are long.
The constellation of Sagittarius rises in the southeast after sunset, indicating the mid-point of cold weather.

I look forward to showcasing more of our National Reconciliation Week celebrations and First Nations culture in the next newsletter edition.

Timothy Bernau | Assistant Principal

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