Reconciliation Week
Reconciliation Week
During Weeks 6-7 Ngunnawal Primary School participated in a range of events and activities for Reconciliation Week.
Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country:
On Friday the 28th Ngunnawal Primary School had a smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country. An Indigenous man named Billy took us through the smoking ceremony and Welcome to Country. A smoking ceremony is an ancient custom among some Aboriginal Australians that involves smouldering various native plants to produce smoke. This herbal smoke is believed to have cleansing properties and the ability to ward off bad spirits.
Activities:
After the smoking ceremony we broke into little groups to rotate around the school and participate in activities. The activities included art, music, sport and exploring artifacts. The Year 6 students were paired with the Kindergarten students to help them with each activity. Everyone had an excellent time and enjoyed participating in the activities.
Assembly:
On Wednesday 2 June Ngunnawal Primary held a Reconciliation assembly. Warren Daly, a Ngunnawal elder from the Pudman reserve in New South Wales, opened the assembly with a Welcome to Country. The Preschool classes did a performance. Ashley Rogers, from the Go Foundation came and presented scholarships to four very lucky Indigenous Students. We also watched videos that taught us about reconciliation, including when the Australian Prime Minister apologised to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people.
Wear It Yellow Day :
On this day, our school also had a ‘wear it yellow day’ and you could bring a gold coin to donate to a charity called ‘Children’s Ground’. This organisation is led by First Nations Communities which are creating a new future for their children and families.