What a wonderful and busy start we have had to the year. It is so lovely to be back amongst our beautiful school grounds. I’m looking forward to a fun year ahead with lots of cultural activities and celebrations.

Recently I met our new Kindergarten students and I can’t wait to spend more time with our newest little people!

As we ease back into school life- I have been working with our Indigenous students at St Joseph’s.  Together, we looked at artwork by Aboriginal artist Michael Nelson Jagamara who is of the Anangu people of the desert. We talked about how the traditional Anangu people “painted” in sand long before the permanent materials that are used by today’s contemporary artists. Their stories were inscribed into the earth and these images were danced on then left to the elements.

Drawing inspiration from the traditional practices of the Anangu people,  students gathered natural materials around our school to create their own artworks that represent ‘their story’. We discussed how the purpose of our artwork is not to look good (although they did), but to share information with each other- as traditional Aboriginal peoples have done for thousands of years.

Check out these awesome stories!

Grace – “My Story”

The round wood represents my cousins. The big rocks are the big people in my life- my brother, sister, mum and dad. The leaves are my aunties and uncles. The sticks are the special people in my family who I love a lot.

Alice “My Story”

The medium rocks are my family – Dad, Mum, and my brother and sister. They are also my dog who died and our little budgies. The sticks are all of us in the group. The two big rocks are there to look good.

William “My Story”

The rocks with the pebbles inside is from when I went on holidays. We  were camping and we cooked marshmallows on the campfire. The other circle is my family, and we are cooking marshmallows

Patrick – “My Story”

The five stones represent my mum, dad, my sister Lexi, my sister Josie and me. The small pebbles inside represent the life we have so far. The sticks are Grandpa, Grandma, Poppa John and Nana. The people I have friendships with are the leaves. Some of them stay, some of them go.

Ellery – “My Story”

Mum is the stick because she is big and strong, and my dad is the rock. We are in a sandpit so babies can’t get out and the mums can look after them. Some of the rocks are the door so the babies can’t get out.

Lewis – “My Story”

My artwork is everyone cuddling. We have a good life with each other and we appreciate all they give us.

National Apology Day - 13th February 2022

We at St Joseph’s Merewether recognise National Apology Day recently held on Sunday 13th February.

This event marks the anniversary of the Apology to Australia’s Indigenous peoples in the House of Representatives on 13 February 2008 by former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, apologising for past laws, policies and practices that have impacted on Australia’s First Nations Peoples, particularly members of the Stolen Generations.

Many members of the Stolen Generations were present in the Chamber to hear the Apology, including our own Aunty Chris who visited our school last year.

Over several decades, roughly one in five First Nations children were taken from their families between 1910 and 1970, countless communities broken up, and cultures forcibly suppressed.

The motion was supported by the Opposition and passed through both houses of Parliament. With this, finally the wrongs of the Stolen Generations were not only acknowledged by the government but apologised for.

Danielle Shaw 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Teacher