Working towards reconciliation

OUR COMMITMENT

It is our goal to promote understanding through actions that build on our communities capacity to value and respect the cultures, rights and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and non-Indigenous peoples. Through ongoing learning experiences within classrooms and in the community, students will learn and talk about reconciliation.  Each year, our school community celebrates National Reconciliation Week (NRW) which is held from 27 May to 3 June, because we recognise that NRW is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements and to build respectful attitudes and relationships.

PRESCHOOL

During Reconciliation Week, students and educators read several indigenous stories and visited our school Reconciliation Garden to learn about the importance of the land and animals to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people .  This led to conversations about how they could show respect for the land and help to care for it. Students responded to what they had heard and seen by creating artworks and sharing their thoughts.

RECONCILIATION BANNER

To build on students understanding of taking action towards reconciliation, each preschool class collaborated to create a reconciliation banner.  Each student's hand print was used to create the leaves of the tree and the teachers contributed to the painting and sewing.

Trees are important symbols that traditionally represent hope for the future, spiritual beliefs, values and traditions.  The preschool team created a reconciliation banner to show respect for the hopes, dreams, beliefs and traditions of the Ngunawal people, the traditional custodians of the land on which we learn, play and grow.

YEAR 1

Responding to Artwork

During Reconciliation Week, The Desert Roses read the picture book Why I Love Australia written and illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft. Through Bancroft’s illustrations, students learnt about the many diverse places of Australia; from the snowy mountains to the beaches, to the cities. After viewing the illustrations and talking about them, students were inspired to create their own artwork using oil pastels.