Aboriginal Education

NAIDOC Week

What an incredible week we had in Week 1, celebrating NAIDOC Week as a school community. We would like to extend our sincerest thanks to local Dharawal Elder Uncle Richard Campbell and Emmaly Davis from Gumaraa, Jason Wilkins Eora Elder, Curriculum Reform Advisor for Aboriginal Education and OFPS parent, Maiquilla Brown Yuin woman, Aboriginal Liaison Officer for Shellharbour City Council and OFPS parent, and Dru-Ann and Kiara Ingram OFPS parent and aunt, for assisting with our activities during our whole school celebration.

FOR OUR ELDERS

NAIDOC Week began on Tuesday with students across the school by learning about the 2023 theme, For Our Elders. All classes reviewed the significance and history of NAIDOC Week, and learned about the role of Elders in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures as knowledge holders, teachers and leaders. Preschool, Kindergarten and Stage 1 students identified and discussed significant older people in their lives and created Elder artworks, with Year 1 and 2 students describing their characteristics. Stage 2 students wrote poems about Elders which formed a giant Aboriginal flag and Stage 3 students researched Elders and created information profiles.

WHOLE SCHOOL CELEBRATION

On Wednesday, we held our whole school celebration. It began with a very touching smoking ceremony conducted by Uncle Richard Campbell. Following this, students participated in rotational activities, which were run and assisted by Uncle Richard and Emmaly Davis from Gumaraa, Jason Wilkins, Maiquilla Brown, and Dru-Ann and Kiara Ingram. Students learned and played Indigenous games including a target game from the Torres Strait called mer kolap and a ball game from Mornington Island called pukamitjal. Students explored art works of traditional and contemporary Indigenous artists including Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri and Emily Kame Kngwarreye. Each student then created a piece of art inspired by these works. Students participated in the Fishing and Lyrebird dances with Gumaraa in the hall, and the teachers also joined! Some lucky students also got to do Shake a Leg. A highlight was story telling where students connected with the earth and listened to Jason Wilkins share about his culture and totems. They also shared stories with Maquilla Brown from Indigenous artists. Our students were so excited to learn about and experience culture. Following the activities, we shared a picnic lunch with families and our students enjoyed their delicious NAIDOC cupcakes provided by the canteen. At the end of the day we held our NAIDOC Week Assembly where we showed a video created by OFPS students and heard our beautiful choir perform. We would like to acknowledge and congratulate our outstanding Aboriginal student leadership team who ran the assembly with distinction, as well as our future leaders who contributed.

GURRUNGUTCH

On Thursday, students from Preschool to Year 6 explored the Dharawal story of Gurrungutch the Eel. Our stunning mural of Gurrungutch was created by former teacher and Yuin woman, Racheal Morgan and the Mudjingaal group and features on our sports shirts. Students also took time to explore different Dreaming stories including Gurangaty and Gurangatch versus Mirragang. To support our whole school focus on mathematics, students participated in learning activities around Gurrungutch with a numeracy focus. Preschool and Kindergarten explored the colours and shapes in our Gurrungutch mural with Kindergarten students completing shape graphs. Stage 1 had a position focus where students followed and created maps of Gurrungutch’s journey. Stage 2 students solved number and word problems involving measurement linked to Gurrungutch’s travels. Year 5 students identified and tallied the different types of triangles in the Gurrungutch mural and then recreated a picture of Gurrungutch, ensuring they included the four types of triangles at least 4 times each! And Year 6 created timelines of Gurrungutch’s journey. It was brilliant seeing students so engaged in their learning and making links to culture.

On Friday, students met with their buddy class to recreate a giant collaborative mural of Gurrungutch which wound its way through the school. They used chalk pastels to create designs using traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander symbols, as well as the shapes and patterns in our own Gurrungutch. It was great seeing our whole school sharing yarns and creating together.

At the end of the day, we formed a giant heart in the field to show our gratitude to Elders and the Dharawal people on whose land we live, work and play. Thank you to the parents, carers and families who were able to join us for this NAIDOC Week.

Emily Chatterton

On behalf of the Aboriginal Education Committee