Wiyabu (hello)

This term Crystal and I have been running our Cultural Immersion Groups on a Wednesday and Friday in the Learning Hub. This term’s theme is ‘Identity- Where am I from? I’m a proud Aboriginal student at Holy Name School. During our cultural immersion lessons our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have been learning about Worimi culture, the animal totem Guparr (Dolphin), the meaning of the Aboriginal Flag as well as the Torres Strait Islander Flag. The students have also been working hard on a self-portrait with guidance from Crystal, you can find these portraits on display in our school hall. Our Year 4 and 5 and 6 Aboriginal girls have been participating in Girls group with Crystal and myself learning about their identity, culture and creating together. Our Aboriginal boys in year 4 and 5 have started to meet with Josh Wood, Aboriginal Education Worker from St Clare’s School to learn more about culture, dance, weaving and language.

Over the past few weeks Crystal and I have been visiting classrooms and teaching about Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country. From these lessons each class has created their own personal Acknowledgement of Country to display in their classrooms and share with the school when it is their turn at morning assemblies. It has been a pleasure to see that our students here at Holy Name know that we a learning on Worimi Country and that our totem animal is the guparr (dolphin).

Coming up in Term 2 is our NAIDOC celebrations where the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students will be learning traditional dance in Cultural Immersion Groups. The NAIDOC theme this year is The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy, celebrating 50 years. Throughout the term Crystal and I will be connecting with the whole school, sharing the theme and planning activities for all classes. We will release our NAIDOC day save the date at the end of this term.

Marrungbu- Thank you

Lara Went

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Worker