By Callum Ludwig
Yarra Junction Primary School (YJPS) is emphasising the importance of First Nations culture in Australia, hosting a NAIDOC Day full of activities.
All students had the opportunity to play traditional games and participate in a Yarning Circle, go exploring in a Nature Walk hunt, and create their own Indigenous flag, kangaroo, boomerang and Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!-themed display.
Koorie Community of Practice Leader at YJPS Shannon Ford said a Koori framework and Marrung education plan have been in place for quite some years at YJPS.
“We’re working towards achieving so many different goals to get to the embedding of Indigenous perspectives to an extremely high standard within our school and within our community,” she said.
“We’ve recently been successful in securing a grant to fund flags and flagpoles so we can fly all of the Indigenous flag, Australian flag and Torres Strait Islander flag on our school grounds, which will be a huge change.”
The Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up! display, the theme of this year’s NAIDOC Week which ran from Sunday 3 July to Sunday 10 July 2022, features hands embellished with the students’ names and a variety of Indigenous designs and symbols.
Ms Ford said another big change has been incorporating significant First Nations and Torres Strait Islander dates in their calendar.
“They go out in our school newsletter out to the community and our staff are well aware of the dates and the resources to use to celebrate those days within our classrooms and the school like the Reconciliation Week and National Sorry Day,” she said.
“I think it’s so important because, at such a young age when they’re embedding these practices, history and culture as young as a prep level, it’s developing respect and acceptance of diversity which we pride ourselves on.”
NAIDOC Day at YJPS began with a themed assembly before the rest of the afternoon’s classes were dedicated to five sessions of activities. Students were permitted to come dressed in colours of the Aboriginal Flag and/or Torres Strait Islander Flag or in an Indigenous sports top or t-shirt.
Ms Ford said it’s important that the students learnt not only about their local area but about the widespread celebration of communities and country across Australia.
“I think it’s fantastic because we have a group of First Nation students that attend our school from all different parts of the world. It just inspires and empowers Indigenous peoples and culture, but also the other students as well to embrace their culture,” she said.
“We celebrate achievement, and looking at what can be achieved, it’s so inspiring to see whether that may lead students to lead in sport or music or in education, there are so many different opportunities.”
