We acknowledge the Wonnarua people as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land who have walked and cared for this place for thousands of years, and their descendants who maintain their spiritual connection and traditions. We thank them for sharing their culture, spirituality, and ways of living with the land in this place that we now call home. We pay our respects to the Elders past, present and emerging. May we continue to walk gently and respectfully together with each other.
Our commitment to social justice calls us to recognise, appreciate and celebrate cultural diversity. A curriculum that is truly Australian provides opportunities for all students to develop knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal heritage, cultures and contemporary issues and spirituality and promotes high expectations of Aboriginal students through quality teaching and learning opportunities.
St Patrick’s is committed to the creation of a school community characterised by acceptance, security, justice, happiness and an environment of growth. In order to provide a supportive learning environment for Aboriginal students, it is important to identify the factors which impact learning and self-esteem and develop strategies to address the specific needs of these students in our school.
IMPLEMENTATION
Educational achievements of Aboriginal students at St Patrick’s Primary School, Lochinvar are promoted by:
- embedding Aboriginal perspective in all aspects of curriculum;
- ensuring we identify, name and acknowledge the traditional custodians of our land;
- providing curriculum, teaching and assessment programs which are challenging, have high expectations and are culturally appropriate;
- providing all students with an understanding of and respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander traditional and contemporary cultures;
- providing intensive literacy and numeracy support for Aboriginal students where needed;
- supporting staff to develop knowledge and understanding of the educational and cultural needs of Aboriginal students;
- developing Personalised Learning Plans for Aboriginal students; and
- strengthening relationships with Aboriginal families and the wider community and looking for opportunities for reconciliation and acknowledgement.
Our Learning Support Assistant (Aboriginal Education) works to develop academic skills in a safe and supportive learning environment to support the indigenous students of St Patrick’s.
Specific cultural activities are available to enhance the self-esteem and cultural identity of Aboriginal students. These include:
- Aboriginal Dance Group
- Art & Craft- traditional painting techniques, making traditional tools and equipment
- Music- clap sticks and digeridoo
- Bush Tucker
- Dreamtime stories
- Aboriginal Languages
