Language & Culture Program

Kii, Deadly TPS community, biladu-njan wat/how are you all? And in the words of my Yawuru language...Ngaji gurrjin/Hello everyone! 

The focus for F-2 students in the second half of Term One has been to deepen their awareness and understanding of our school being situated on Wurundjeri Woiwurrung Country, our responsibility to care for Country through caring for our school environment. Students have been learning about the two main Kulin Nation animal totems, Bundjil and Waa.

Foundation students are continuing to learn and practise basic classroom commands, answering yes/no to simple questions, basic greeting and farewell, and our greeting song. A big focus in the last few weeks for Foundation students will be to focus on some specific short vowel and consonant sounds in the Woiwurrung language that are similar to what they are learning in their classrooms.

Students in year one to six are continuing to learn and practice greetings and introductions, basic conversation phrases and classroom commands, as well as the ‘Barrbunin Winthoonth/Happy Birthday’ song.

Here are the words to the Woiwurrung Birthday Song, which you could all learn as a family. Listen to the audio examples above, to help you with this. Families with students in Years 1-6 will have their assistance to learn the song.

The focus in the last half of this term for Year 1-6 students has been to continue building their knowledge of the different sounds in the Woiwurrung language, and depending on their grade level, the associated letter patterns used to write these sounds. We have enjoyed playing games that challenge them to think about the Woiwurrung sound and spelling patterns.

Have a chat with your child/ren about what they are learning.

Twaganin (Woiwurrung) Galia (Yawuru) / See you later!