ATSI News

Yaama McCarthy Community!

It has been a very busy term for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Team. Our Aboriginal Education Assistants (AEAs) have been involved in classroom support and embedding Gomeroi perspectives into learning across a variety of subjects and year groups. This year, our team is composed of three AEAs and myself (Kara Spicer), the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Focus Teacher.

Lisa Smith is supporting our Year 7, Year 11 and Year 12 Students

Madeleine Simmonds-Cutts is supporting our Year 9 and Year 10 Students

Melanie Lamb is supporting our Year 8 Students

Throughout Term 1, Lisa has supported the PDHPE Faculty in providing Year 10 students with the opportunity to play and learn about Aboriginal games and sport. She has been involved with every Year 10 class in a practical activity that embodies aspects of the Gomeroi culture. Lisa has also been involved in some Year 8 Technology lessons where students have learnt about weaving. Maddy has shared her knowledge of the local area and language, joining some of the Year 9 HSIE classes in their learning about Australia during the 1900s and the Myall Creek Massacre. 

Yarn Up

Yarn Up, the cultural program which started last year, has continued again this year. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students can see when this program is running on Compass. It is occurring for one period every second week for our Year 7 to 10 students. This term, students are creating an artwork that focuses on the 2022 NAIDOC theme ‘Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!’. On the last Wednesday of this term, we will be providing the opportunity for Year 12 students to join us and Uncle Nev Sampson for a Day on Country to learn about local sites. We are hoping to provide a similar opportunity for our Year 11 students next term.

Student Council

We are very excited to announce that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student Council will continue into its second year in 2022 with new members and a new executive (which is yet to be decided). The 2022 members are:

The Council will be meeting for the first time on Monday and we look forward to seeing the Council continue to grow and achieve cultural goals at McCarthy.

Cultural Plans

Maddy, Lisa and Mel have started the process of talking to students and completing the Cultural Learning Plans (formerly known as Personal Learning Plans). These Plans inform students, our team and the broader staff here at McCarthy about the goals our students have both for their learning and culture. Once we have completed these Plans, I will send out an email detailing how you can access these plans on Compass. If you have any questions in the meantime about this process, please don’t hesitate to contact myself or any of the AEAs.

Kara Spicer - ATSI Focus Teacher