On Tuesday this week our School Captains, Mitchell, Charlotte, Avril and Jackson, together with our Koorie students, met with Vanessa Murdoch (EACH Aboriginal Health Promotion Officer), Angela Thurbon (Knox Council and Lea Jones (Koorie Engagement Support Officer), Tara Henstock (BHPS Art teacher) and myself to work on a BHPS-specific Acknowledgement to Country. As an ice breaker we talked about the character strengths that each of us had as well as what we each felt was a strength that we could see in our school community. These were some of the strengths that we came up with: adventurous, hardworking, open, committed, capable, strong, curious, different, patient, generous, caring, creative, fair, friendly, humorous, kind, hopeful, confident, happy, organized, encouraging, understanding, relaxed, loyal, energetic and helpful.
We then, as a group, read through our current school’s Acknowledgement to Country (see below) and brainstormed how we might like to adapt the wording to make it more meaningful and significant to our school situation. How could we include our school values (Community Achievement, Respect and Engagement), or care for country, or the exact Kulin nations that our school is physically located on?
We look forward to gathering together again in a couple of weeks’ time to continue having a yarn about our Acknowledgment to Country. The Koorie kids are also enjoying spending time getting to know one another better, learning and sharing about First Nations’ culture and meeting other First Nations’ people from our local community.
Boronia Heights Primary School Acknowledgement of Country
Boronia Heights Primary School would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We pay respects to their elders past and present, and pay respects to the Elders of all nations. In the name of true reconciliation, we would like to acknowledge all people from all nations and nationalities.
Sarah McIntosh
Student Welfare