Marrung

Marrung (pronounced: MA-roong)  is the Wemba Wemba word for the Murray Cypress pine tree, representing branches of education and knowledge.

NAIDOC WEEK

Our school enjoyed celebrating NAIDOC week in the first week of this term. Throughout this newsletter you will see how our students engaged with this year's theme of 'For Our Elders'. 

During the week there was an awards ceremony to acknowledge some of the exceptional work of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders in our community. You can learn about the nominees and winners here.

RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN (RAP)

I’m excited to let you know that our school is beginning to develop a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). Our RAP will support our school to continue to build knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures and contributions. Through our RAP, we will strengthen relationships, respect and opportunities in the classroom, around the school, and with the community. Developing this plan is a long-term commitment, one that requires ongoing consideration and collaborative effort. Within our community, there is unique knowledge and valuable experience that we would love to see reflected in the development and implementation of our RAP.

RAP Working Group

To develop our RAP, we need to form a working group, consisting of school staff members, students and members of our community. RAP Working Group members are dedicated to driving reconciliation within our school community, and can help develop and support of RAP initiatives.

If you would like to discuss being involved in the RAP Working Group, please get in touch with me. We’re building our RAP using Reconciliation Australia’s Narragunnawali program. Find out more about this excellent program here: reconciliation.org.au/narragunnawali

FIRST NATION RESOURCES

Language:

Woiwurrung is a language spoken by members of four Koorie clans that lived in adjoining areas in the Port Phillip region.

Source: https://www.vacl.org.au/languages/

Learn a Woiwurrung Word:

To Read:

Bidhi Galing

Powerful and moving, Bidhi Galing (Big Rain) celebrates the Wiradyuri heroes of the Great Flood of Gundagai in 1852, inlcuding Yarri and Jacky Jacky, who paddled bark canoes through raging floodwaters, risking their lives to save countless others.

Anita Heiss's powerful text, accompanied by Samantha Campbell's evocative illustrations, is a gift of Wiradyuri culture, knowledge and language, sharing a resonant message for our times.

To Watch:

Star Dreaming

The stars are a map for life for the Wiradjuri people (located in central NSW). They show us when and where to hunt, and how to find our way home. Wiradjuri Elder and cultural knowledge holder Doug Sutherland takes us on a tour through the stars as seen by Wiradjuri people for the last 60,000 years.

Tim Phillips

Marrung Leader