A message from Margie
National Reconciliation Week
Last week we held a very special National Reconciliation Week. On Monday we launched our Zenadth Kes (Torres Strait Islander) flag, with a blessing from Zenadth Kesian Elder Uncle Frank Cook (see photo above). Our students also started the day with some unique and touching Acknowledgements of Country they had written themselves. Aboriginal students Arlo and Wolf Turner helped to launch the flag with the help of their father Lou, and SRC executives Brody and Patrick. This special event was featured in the Courier.
Following the flag-raising ceremony, the students participated in 8 different activities to learn more about First Nations culture and people in cross-age groups:
- Viewing Uncle Frank's video and creating video responses for him
- Learning about Kaurna and Peramangk culture
- Dreamtime stories and drama
- Mapping stories with nature symbols
- Learning about bush tucker and making damper
- Creating butterflies in response to a dreamtime story
- Traditional Aboriginal games
- Triorama about Aboriginal history and culture
On Wednesday Deanne Hanchant-Nicols taught Kaurna language to our students.
All week classes learned about First Nations people, their resilience, their accomplishments and what we can learn from them.
Trustworthy
We've been reflecting on what it means to be trustworthy this term, as part of our term Learn, Stand, Give, Fly focus.
This week I asked students, "What does trustworthy mean to you?"
Ben -This happened to me once- I had some chips and I went to go somewhere for a minute and some of my friends ate my chips and threw them around. I didn't think that was trustworthy of them.
Alyssa - If you go to the toilet at school, you have to be trustworthy and don't be silly!
Layla- It means to be trusted to do something by yourself without being silly about it.
Gus - Be sensible, like when the teacher leaves the room, just get on with your work.
Harper - If someone leaves you alone you need to be trusted to stay calm and not be silly and look after their place.
Holly - I don't trust my dog, because when we go out for dinner my dog gets under the fence and escapes!
Phoenix- It means people can trust you to do anything for example if someone gives me
their iPad, they trust me to use it carefully, and not smash it or play catch with it.
Brody - If Sallie has to leave the class we take responsibility and don't be silly. We do the task we're supposed to be doing.
Nilah- Say if you drop a really cool pen, and the person who picks it up really wants it, but instead they give it back, that's being trustworthy.
Edith - If an adult gives you the responsibility to take a note to someone else, you don't take it and read it because it's private.
Have a great fortnight everyone!
Margie