NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for the community to stop, reflect on, celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We understand the importance of this in our everyday lives and the learning that we do each day at Margaret River Primary, however NAIDOC Week is important because it helps us have a conversation with our community about reconciliation – which is everybody’s business.
Get Up – Stand Up – Show Up is this year’s NAIDOC theme. Our school considered what this means to all of us every day and we asked each other what it is that gets us up in the morning, what we believe in and how we show that we believe in this. Students, staff, parents and our P&C took part in building a ‘graffiti wall’ where we were able to write down out thoughts and share them with everybody. Each classroom spent time discussing this and we considered what this means for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Students enjoyed lunchtime movies and videos each day in the assembly area, which gave them an insight into Culture and Country.
We used this celebration week to complete our Six Seasons garden by erecting signs that were created using artwork and ideas from students to describe the six seasons, and erected them in our six seasons garden.
The week concluded with a game of Marngrook between students and staff. Marngrook is a game that is believed to be the beginning of what we know as AFL Football. We had lots of fun and laughs learning and playing together.
We all live in Wadandi Country and we have a responsibility to take care of the Country we live and learn on. The Elders, past, present and emerging can help us develop our understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island culture and together we can ensure that Wadandi Country thrives.
Photos and written by Aaron Thomas; Posted by D. Veary
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