Aboriginal Education Officer's Report
NAIDOC Week 2022 - Get Up, Stand Up, Show Up!
Report by Helen Wenner, WWHS AEO
The theme for this year was ‘Get Up, Stand Up, Show Up' and we're proud to say that this is just what Wee Waa High School did. Our NAIDOC Week celebrations were held between Monday 8th August and Friday 12th August, starting with an opening assembly on the Monday.
Lataya Gordon presented the ‘Acknowledgement of Country’. Our guest speaker, Bernadette Melton gave an inspiring address, explaining what this year's theme of 'Get U[, Stand Up, Show Up' means to her.
Bernadette is the chairperson of the Local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group and volunteered her time to be a part of this special day of celebration. Bernadette, through her employer, the CSIRO organised a beautiful cake for the celebrations what was enjoyed by everyone. The cake cutting ceremony was performed by Lataya Gordon and Bernadette Melton.
We were really pleased to be able to welcome dancers from Narrabri Public School and Narrabri Clontarf Group who performed two traditional opening dances at the opening ceremony. Patti Lettice travelled out with the dance troop and delighted everyone when she sang 'We are one, but we are many' in language and in English.
I would just like to say thank you to everybody involved with the opening ceremony starting on the first day.
Tuesday 9th August 2022 saw the launch of student goal setting cards at an Aboriginal community dinner held at the local Chinese Restaurant. I was very overwhelmed with the support huge support this initiative received from our local Aboriginal community members, students and parents in attendance on the night. Close to 100 people gathered for this important launch. This is what it means when we say, ‘Get Up, Stand Up, Show Up!’
I am very appreciative of the people who helped me make this happen. A big special thanks to Kylie Lacey from the Department of Education's Moree office who inspired me to have a community launch for the goal setting cards. The event helped link our parents and community with our students' goals and aspirations. To the parents and students and community members who attended, I'd like to say a very big thank you. It was a night to remember, the lovely families and our small community school. Thank you also to the Year Advisers who attended to the Wee Waa High School staff for supporting this project.
At lunch time on the Tuesday, two of our Year 11 students added some colour and fun doing Aboriginal art themed face painting on students and staff members.
Also on Tuesday, as part of our sports syllabus, we held an Indigenous sports afternoon with traditional and adapted Indigenous games that were planned and delivered by School Learning Support Officers, Pat Nolan and Naomi Nean. It was great to see everyone participating in these games that included; Bowitgee, Juluhya, Kangaroo Tail Throwing and Noongar Wanna.
Wednesday 10 August 2022. Yinarr-Ma Native Grains Bush Tucker sessions were presented by Sydney University (Narrabri Campus) Native Grains Technician, Kerrie Saunders, a Moree Gomeroi woman working on this exciting University of Sydney project.
Kerrie taught the students from years 7 to 10 about the different traditional grains that have long been used for bush tucker and how they can be used in everyday cooking. Using flour made from these different traditional grass grains, students made pikelets drizzled with honey that were a big hit.
For the last period in the afternoon, a NAIDOC Trivia activity was organised by Naomi Nean and Pat Nolan for the students to test their knowledge on Aboriginal culture and history. All year groups participated in this fantastic cultural knowledge session.
On Friday 12th August 2022, 2015 WWHS graduate and Zoologist, Ethan Townes intrigued students with a nativereptile show in the school hall. Students from all year groups had an opportunity to handle the reptiles, including tarantula spider.
Ethan talked about the importance of these animals and their significance in the Aboriginal culture.
We finished the week with a BBQ sausage sizzle facilitated by Year 12 students. Thank you to Mr Kiely for organising the BBQ and to our front office team for their preparations.