Wrapping up the events for NAIDOC Week at the South Coast’s Batemans Bay Public School earlier this month, the school’s Principal Kel Smerdon said the school had worked hard in recent years to develop Aboriginal learning programs for all its students.
Mr Smerdon said that during the last week of Term 2, the Batemans Bay Public School hosted its annual week-long NAIDOC Week celebrations.
He said the school mapped its wellbeing and curriculum programs and built from Preschool to Year 6 developing connections for all its students to the local lands on which they were learning.
“These programs also build knowledge about the Walbunja culture and country within which our school sits proudly,” Mr Smerdon said.
“Teachers and students look forward to NAIDOC Week each year, where our local community joins in with the school to celebrate, share and respect culture,” Mr Smerdon said.
“Students had the privilege of sharing story telling from respected Elder Aunty Loretta Parsley, learned a range of outdoor cultural games and participated in a variety of arts and cultural learning experiences across the week,” he said.
He said learning about, through and within culture was an everyday part of learning and growing at the Batemans Bay School, on Walbunja Country, where every student is given the opportunity to learn about and connect with Aboriginal culture.
Mr Smerdon said the school worked hard in recent years to develop Aboriginal learning programs for all students at the school.
“We have mapped our wellbeing and curriculum programs and built a Preschool to Year 6,” he said, “And beyond approach to developing a connection for all our students to the lands upon which we learn.
“These programs also build knowledge about the Walbunja culture and country within which our school sits proudly.”
He said teachers and students looked forward to NAIDOC Week each year, where the local community joins in with the school to celebrate, share and respect culture.
“The Beach and Bush school has a purpose-built outdoor learning hub and students venture off site to the beach and the bush each week, where being hands on and getting dirty and wet is totally okay,” Mr Smerdon said.
“Taking from Aboriginal culture, we feel that it is essential for our student’s development and wellbeing that they have a strong sense of place and connection to the land.”
Year 6 student, Archer, spoke for the children.
“I love NAIDOC Week and I am proud to go to a school that has helped me learn more about Aboriginal people and their culture,” Archer, said.
