Always was, always will be
Wominjeka! (Woiwurrung word meaning 'to come with purpose' and is used as 'welcome'.) Thank you to the 'Always was, Always will be' student action teamfor sharing your Acknowledgement of Country:
"Maddie: We will begin with an Acknowledgement of Country
Lara: “We would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woiwurrung people whose land we learn, live and thrive on and the other First Nations peoples who cared for this unique land for thousands of years, and still do.
Tia: We would also like to pay our respects to Elders past, present and future. Thank you.”
ASPS Reconciliation Event
The end of term's reconciliation assembly was a special event, celebrating our school’s commitment to reconciliation. Reconciliation doesn’t just happen during Reconciliation Week, it’s an ongoing journey together. The assembly was an event to explore what reconciliation looks like at our school. This year’s Reconciliation theme is “Be Brave. Make Change.” So what does being brave and making change look like for you?
We shared our deepest respects to the late Uncle Jack Charles, Uncle Archie Roach, and Auntie Margaret Gardiner who we will continue to learn from even in their absence. We acknowledge that it is a sad time at the moment with the loss of so many wise Elders in the community.
We all met Wiradjuri artist and Auburn South parent, Stef Brown, and learnt somethings about Wiradjuri culture.
We got a taste test of Uncle Jack Charles’ Smiling Mind meditation (access via Smiling Mind app or online via WellMob to the 10:24 mp3).
Koorie Engagement Support Officer Seth Nolan shared a Gunditjmara story that left us guessing the secret animal.
The ‘Always was, Always Will Be’ student action group shared a report on the recent meeting with Wurundjeri artist Simone Thomson for an artwork that will be displayed in the future reception of the school. This artwork will show the importance of our school’s key traits and the significance of First Nations culture in our school.
We learnt the song: The Children Came Back by Briggs, Dewayne Everettsmith, and Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu. This song by Briggs is inspired by Uncle Archie Roach’s song “They Took the Children Away”, and celebrates the strength of Australia’s First Peoples and is a song of reconciliation. We also shared some of our research on the Indigenous Heroes mentioned in the song.
It was a lovely way to wrap up our reconciliation event. Big thank you to Ms Stanton and Mr Jones for helping us learn the song in Performing Arts. A big thank you to today’s guest speakers, visitors and parents for coming. We hope you continue the reconciliation work and “be brave” and “make change”.
Campfire Conversation
We will be continuing our Campfire Conversation connecting the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. Our first session this year was focused on self-determination in education, and was part of the Department of Education & Training's Marrung Program.
Our school would like to continue to support community connections, therefore, we would like to invite any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and family members to gather, connect and yarn with fellow Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families, educators and local community members on Thursday 20th October 2022 at 5pm for a 5:30 pm start.
Please contact Emily Hui if you have any questions and see the invitation below for further information:
First Nation Events + Resources
(Our school is not affiliated with any of these)
Book recommendation: Our Home, Our Heartbeat by Adam Briggs
Adapted from Briggs' celebrated song 'The Children Came Back', Our Home, Our Heartbeat is a celebration of past and present Indigenous legends, as well as emerging generations, and at its heart honours the oldest continuous culture on earth.
TV: The Australian Wars
For older siblings and adults, a new series on SBS has just begun. Rachel Perkins journeys across the country to explore the bloody battles fought on Australian soil and the war that established the Australian nation, seeking to change the narrative of the nation. Watch via SBS On Demand.