15 minute read
Emerging Leaders
St Mary’s Catholic School, Bowen
To begin Term 3, our entire school community gathered to celebrate NAIDOC week. We began the day with a Liturgy, including a smoking ceremony, Welcome to Country from Uncle Jim Gaston, and traditional dancing from the Juru dance group, which this year included one of our Prep students. Father Thomas delivered a beautiful Homily that reflected the 2021 NAIDOC theme for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday – ‘Heal Country.’ We also have been fortunate to adopt Uncle Jim Gaston as our Wildlife Ranger. We thank Uncle Jim for his contributions to our school and for enriching the lives of all students through sharing his story and having a yarn.
St Colman’s School, Home Hill
'Heal Country, heal our nation' is a call for stronger measures to help all Australians understand that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have a unique way of viewing the land. Our NAIDOC day activities at St Colman’s Home Hill reflected this theme and helped the students come to a better understanding and respect for how our Indigenous people have a close relationship to land. After a beautiful Liturgy where many of our parents joined us in prayer we were able to then complete activities based on the importance of the land. Students listened to stories, made their own Gubulla Munda (Aboriginal totem of the Birri Gubba people), investigated different Indigenous lands across Australia and created a mural with our painted feet walking across country. NAIDOC celebrations will continue as we welcome Indigenous artist, Arthur Conlan to the school in early September.
TOWNSVILLE PRIMARY SCHOOLS
St Michael’s Catholic School, Palm Island
This term the senior girls' class at St Michael's created a vibrant artwork to reflect the 2021 NAIDOC theme of 'Heal Country!' Each student coloured individual tiles in a patterned map of Australia which now hangs in the school's foyer. The artwork was displayed during the schools NAIDOC Liturgy and the senior girls and their Culture Teacher, Miss Therese, led the school in Torres Strait Islander song and movement. These young ladies have also been writing creative responses to Nadia Wheatley and Donna Rawlin’s 'My Place', thanks to Miss Ros.
Last term Sean Choolburra taught students how to weave grass skirts and he would be thrilled to see the girls have now woven their own traditional get up with the help of Miss Trish. Gonna be a deadly Christmas Concert!
Holy Spirit Catholic School, Cranbrook
As part of the NAIDOC week celebrations at Holy Spirit Catholic School, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander boys from across the school came together to form the Nalgaray Dance Troupe. The boys worked with members of the Wulgurukaba Walkabouts, Les Tanna (aka Uncle Les), Glen Thomas and Ashley Saltner, who taught them the Gabul dance, Baragan dance and the happy dance where the boys got to show off their shake-a-leg skills. During rehearsals, Uncle Les also yarned with the boys about the significance of being painted up with ochre during performances and shared Dreamtime stories. The dancers made their debut at the school’s NAIDOC week Liturgy, performing to a captivated audience of family, teachers and peers. The boys had a great time and can’t wait to perform again.
St Clare’s Catholic School, Burdell
Year 6 were stuck on every word (pun intended) when learning about different materials that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples traditionally use as adhesives. Les Tanna talked about how some resins can be derived from plant sources like Spinifex and Grass tree as well as other forms such as beeswax and tar from the road that could be melted down. The children learned how resin can be used as an adhesive, a waterproofing agent, to add strength, as a burning torch, and as an item of trade. Les also showed the children how to fix a leaking coolamon and tools with native beeswax and tar. It was then time to scour the school grounds to start collecting from the Moreton Bay Ash trees.
Good Shepherd Catholic School, Rasmussen
Good Shepherd Catholic School recently ran a competition with families to design an Indigenous shirt for our staff. The winning design was created by the Aplin Family and portrays Good Shepherd Catholic School in the middle of the art piece as a gathering place with the Elders, families, students and staff all coming together from the outside in to meet and work together. At the bottom of the art piece are the two rivers in Townsville – the Bohle and the Ross. The Aplin Family were the first to receive the shirts at a special presentation during NAIDOC week.
St Joseph’s Catholic School, The Strand
Engaging with our local environment, Year 2 and Year 6 students and staff walked to Garbarra (Kissing Point) to learn about Indigenous histories and culture. Guided by Ms Annette Jaxon, school-based Indigenous Education teacher, students and staff were immersed in the stories of the Dreamtime and the abundance and variety of bush food sources within the landscape. Ms Annette explained the importance of awareness of signs when on Country. As Year 6 students walked, a sea turtle was spotted and appeared to follow students along the trail. A Cairns Birdwing Butterfly flew among and landed on staff as Dreamtime stories were explained. Students and staff were moved by these spiritual and unexpected encounters. Teachers and students will continue to engage in these unique learning experiences to create a deeper understanding of Indigenous perspectives and cultural traditions within the local context.
St Benedict’s Catholic School, Shaw
The St Benedict's 'Indigenous Education Committee' is a group of staff members who meet twice a term throughout the year. This year, the committee has been finalising and enacting goals on St Benedict's Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), reviewing school resources around Indigenous Education, and promoting their integration into classroom learning. The committee has also implemented and revised a process for students, Personal Learning Plans, with the hope of renaming them to 'Nalga Dhanbull' (meaning child story in Wulgurukaba language), with the goal of collaborating with families to place each child's story at the centre of their learning journey. The committee was also fortunate to have Boori Monty Pryor join a recent meeting to talk about one of his most recent stories, unpacking parts of the story by acknowledging our history, embracing inclusivity and celebrating the healing powers of nature and culture.
Marian Catholic School, Currajong
Marian Catholic School is blessed with a number of First Nations staff who support and lead the students with pride. One example of this is our Kurrajong Kids program. Kurrajong Kids started in 2020 and has grown from strength to strength. Lunchtime activities are organised each fortnight for our First Nations students, where they can gather and learn about their culture through song, gardening, cooking and sharing stories. Students are often invited to bring a friend along, to enhance the Spirit of Reconciliation that we value so highly here at Marian. Throughout this year students have enjoyed coconut palm weaving, making fruit kebabs, creating Rainbow Serpent artwork and growing sweet potatoes.
St Joseph’s Catholic School, Mundingburra
St Joseph’s Catholic School, Mundingburra celebrated NAIDOC Week during the first week of this term. The St Joey’s school community participated in a special NAIDOC Week Liturgy on the first day of Term 3, where the Bimbi Wadja group played a large role. The Bimbi Wadja group is made up of Indigenous students who are supported by Indigenous Support Officers, Cindy Collinson and Lyrech Mara. All staff and students had the opportunity to participate in lunchtime activities throughout the week, run by Ms Collinson, Miss Mara, the Bimbi Wadji Group, Year 6 students and staff volunteers. The theme of this year’s NAIDOC Week was ‘Heal Country’, and the Bimbi Wadja group created a number of ‘Hall of Fame’ posters which looked at the life of famous Indigenous Australians. These posters were placed on the stage for the school community to read.
Ryan Catholic College, Kirwan
At Ryan Catholic College, creating opportunity for diversity and pride in culture is an important way of believing. A big dream of the Indigenous team and students was to create and run a student cultural dance group. We sourced an excellent dance teacher with the right credentials and then invited students to give it a go. With the strong influence of Bacho, one of our Indigenous school officers, we engaged Les Tanna of Wulgurukaba Walkabouts to assist in making this come to life. Over 8 weeks of rehearsals, some natural talent emerged which was then put on show at both our Senior and Junior NAIDOC assemblies.
Also, our team of Year 8 & 9 students competed at the ATSIAP (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aspirations Program) run by the Department of Education and defended our title for the second year in a row, achieving first place in the Persuasive category and coming second in the other three categories.
Southern Cross Catholic College, Annandale
At the beginning of term the 2021/2022 School Captains commenced their duties. This is significant to Indigenous Education at Southern Cross Catholic College as one of them is Emerging Leader Adrian Stanborough. Adrian is the first Indigenous School Captain for the College. During Week 2 the entire College came together to celebrate NAIDOC week and the theme of Heal Country. This was an exciting week with activities for every year level within the college. Students engaged in spear throwing, weaving, bark painting, lei making and face painting. Keven Fujii Snr and Jr visited students during the week showcasing Torres Strait Islander culture and customs with the highlight of the week being a performance by the Komet Dancers. The week ended with a very moving NAIDOC Liturgy.
St Anthony’s Catholic College, Deeragun
St Anthony's 2021 NAIDOC celebrations were held during Week 1 of Term 3. During this time, both Padua and Assisi Campuses came together to enjoy an awesome day celebrating whilst recognising Indigenous cultures. This year’s theme 'Heal Country' asked the college community to think about how we as Australians can heal Country – physically, emotionally and spiritually. This year saw more stalls than ever before and an extension to 3 periods. Students participated and engaged in a number of cultural activities with our young Indigenous leaders sharing their culture with the wider community. They really seemed to shine on the day. The installation of the Assisi Mural has also reached completion. Thank you to artist Robbie Paul for his beautiful design and vision which represents students, staff and families navigating their way through school. Many of the elements symbolise certain features and pay homage to our Traditional Owners totems and storylines.
St Margaret Mary’s College, Hyde Park
Our experiences over the past term with our First Nations students and college involvement has been plentiful. We are very blessed to have 36 mentors on staff who are supporting our First Nations students. The Year 10-12 students visited the JCU Campus, toured the facility and support services as well as speaking first hand to some First Nations uni students. The Year 7 – 9 students experienced a cultural day, walking the trail at Jezzine Barracks and reflecting on past and present experiences, dadirri, yarning circle, art and sharing lunch. This day was led by Tammi Webber and Zoe Brown, and also involved staff from Indigenous and non-Indigenous backgrounds. This was a wonderful experience for students to celebrate culture together. At the end of the term, First Nations students in Year 9 also assisted in the NAIDOC celebrations at Holy Spirit Primary School. This again was a shared experience building relationships with younger students.
St Kieran’s Catholic School, Mount Isa
Every year St Kieran's celebrates National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day with our annual Mini Murri's Under 8's Day. Mini Murri's is a morning full of fun and community. We invite along all of the local kindy's as well as younger siblings and other local children. This year our day included a visit from Uncle George with the local mobile police van, dog squad and the Glencore Mines Rescue team. The Good Shepherd Emerging leaders also came and helped to run the morning. Activities included a bubble disco, sensory play area, cultural crafts, face painting, chalk drawing, games, Mini Murri's Masterchef and mine site play area. Each year our Year 4-6 Indigenous students help to plan the activities and run them on the day. All of our children look forward to this special and unique celebration every year.
Columba Catholic College, Charters Towers
Columba Catholic College is a home away from home for 87 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Our students engage in a variety of subjects and have the added advantage of homework and assessment support from the dedicated staff both at school and in the boarding residences. Part of this support are the Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander “Galbirri Rooms” which are located on both campuses. These rooms are occupied by the Indigenous Education Worker and the Emerging Leader Coordinator and are a base for students during the day. Students are given the opportunity to participate in a variety of extracurricular activities during their time at school — from sport, music and drama to personal development and community service programs. Some of this year’s highlights have been the Colour Run, Country Music Concert, Interschool Formal, Deb ball and camps, just to name a few.
St Joseph’s Catholic School, Cloncurry
On the 10th of August we had a visit from Tjupurru, a didjeribone player and performer. The students had a fantastic time interacting and listening to the history of the didjeribone whilst also learning about Tjupurru’s multicultural background. Staff as well as students laughed and were amazed at the talent that Tjupurru put on show. Students were selected to participate in the show and were transformed into human instruments. Another student got to show off her “cool” as Tjupurru played her ‘Happy Birthday’ on the didjeribone.
St Francis Catholic School, Hughenden
The students at St Francis Catholic School Hughenden enjoy participating in NAIDOC Week activities every year. This year, the students participated in a variety of activities to deepen their understanding and appreciation of our Indidgenous communities. The students completed sand art, dot painting, Indigenous stories and Ms Brown shared her Torres Strait Islander culture through the making of Dharis. Later in the term the students enjoyed a performance of the didgeribone. St Joseph's Mount Isa recognised NAIDOC 2021 with a day of activities earlier this term. The day started with a whole school prayer followed by a NAIDOC march as a way of celebrating the Indigenous peoples of our country. The march was attended by students and staff, parents and other family members as well as members of our school community. Classes made banners and waved Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. A rotation of activities followed including games and dance, design puzzles, rock painting, NAIDOC wristband designing and an exhibition in the library with books and artefacts showcasing the history and culture of our First Nations people. Students also coloured and designed a whole school NAIDOC poster. Students and staff enjoyed a whole school picnic lunch while listening to Indigenous artists such as Jess Mauboy, William Barton, Yothu Yindu and Baker Boy. The day concluded with an afternoon tea attended by families and community members.
St Patrick’s Catholic School, Winton
Earlier this year Winton was the destination for an Outback Spirituality - Walk-On Country Retreat. The Spirituality Retreat was designed for Townsville Catholic Education staff to experience sacred sites and places of historical and cultural significance to Indigenous people. St Patrick’s Catholic School’s Mercy Garden was the gathering space for the retreat members and it was a wonderful opportunity for students to showcase some of the features they had contributed to within the sacred space. Past students, with the guidance of local Elder Aunty Pearl, designed and created clay pavers that incorporate Indigenous symbols to trace the story of our local place and the environment from creation and Dreamtime to current day. Videos of students explaining the importance of each of the pavers were shown to the retreat members and they had an opportunity to engage with the pavers.
Good Shepherd Catholic College, Mount Isa
NAIDOC week celebrations are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and this year’s NAIDOC theme was ‘Heal Country’. This year Good Shepherd Catholic College staff and students (which also included our Year 6 Indigenous students from St Kieran’s & St Joseph’s Catholic Schools) all got to participate in various activities during the day. To start off the day we began with our Liturgy which was followed by our Elders Morning Tea. Attending our celebrations this year we had the Deadly Ninja Warrior Jack Wilson running and participating in a small Ninja Warrior course. We also had the Deadly Jacob Takurit from Mob FM teaching some deadly Move it Mob Style dances with our staff and students. Our staff and students also created their own artwork by painting what ‘Heal Country’ means to them using traditional symbols on cut out hands, and also got to cook some yummy Johnny Cakes.
