Other School Activities
ABORIGINAL EDUCATION
Culture Club
Our lunch time ‘Culture Club’ has certainly started off with a BANG! Students have loved coming to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander room at lunch time and immersing themselves in fun cultural activities. Some of these activities include, Wonnaura inspired symbol rock creating, painting and drawing, creating with natural materials, Awabakal language games, nature play, and art using animal tracks evident in Australian desert regions.
Due to the popularity of ‘Culture Club’, we are currently working through a waiting list of Year 1 and Year 2 students. ‘Culture Club’ will be offered to students in other grades in the coming weeks.
Kindergarten Biraban Art
It has been a pleasure to work with our Kindergarten students over the last 2 weeks. Students have learnt about the traditional land on which our school sits – Awabakal. Students were very interested to learn that the totem for Awabakal people is the wedge tail eagle. The wedge-tailed eagle, known as Biraban in Awabakal language has special significance for this area. Kon, their “celestial entity”, looks like an Aboriginal man, but in flight resembles an eagle.
Through a series of steps, students patiently and expertly created their own amazing Biraban artwork. To help get our creative juices flowing, it was great fun getting outside and portraying the movements of native Australian animals- including the wedge-tailed eagle.
Our ‘Biraban’ artworks look amazing. Check them out in our school foyer soon!
Aboriginal News…. For Interest Sake
Whibay-gamba is the Awabakal name for the area around Nobby’s – one of our city’s most famous landmarks. An Awabakal Dreaming story about Nobbys tells of a giant kangaroo that lives inside the island, and how he would sometimes shake his tail making the land tremble- a reference to the region’s long history of seismological activity!
18 March - National Close the Gap Day
The students and staff at St Joseph’s Merewether acknowledge ‘National Close the Gap Day’, recently held on 18th March. This day was first organised in 2006 so that organisations can come together to improve the health of First Nations people through donations and community events. Held on the third Thursday of March, Close the Gap Day is about raising awareness of the Aboriginal health crisis.
21st March Harmony Day
On Harmony Day we recognise our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures as well as all other cultures within Australia. As Australian’s we are lucky to live in such a diverse country. Harmony Day is about inclusiveness, respect, and a sense of belonging for everyone!
I am privlidged to impart knowledge to students of our amazing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures as part of our diverse country.
Danielle Shaw
EALD News
Harmony Day
What a vibrant array of colours were on display on Monday 21st March as we recognised Harmony Day at St Joseph’s! Our school’s cultural diversity was celebrated through the sharing of traditional dress, and the orange and rainbow themed clothing that dazzled us all. Thank you to all the parents, students and staff for your efforts.
We began the day with a Liturgy to thank God for the gifts we enjoy because we live in a peaceful multicultural society. Thank you to the children who read so beautifully, and to the EALD children and Year 4 students and teachers who led us very respectfully through the singing and movement to ‘A Song of Peace’.
At lunchtime we enjoyed a special multicultural menu on offer through the canteen especially for Harmony Day, and each class engaged in discussion and activities around the central theme for the day – ‘everyone belongs’. We are blessed to be part of a school community where, indeed, everyone does belong!
Mrs Noble (EALD Teacher)