Reconciliation Week at Woodend Primary School has been a vibrant and meaningful celebration of learning, connection, and respect. This year, our focus centred on the deep relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Country. Across all year levels, students engaged in rich learning experiences that explored the values of respect, fairness, and unity.
Throughout the week, students deepened their understanding of our local landscape and interpreted artworks that reflect First Nations stories, experiences, and knowledge.
In Room 25, Year 3 students explored artworks inspired by The Seven Sisters, discussing the symbols used in the Dreaming story and their meanings. They designed their own symbols to represent the values of Reconciliation Week, painting them onto pebbles as gifts for our school garden – handed to Dylan to caretake in the garden. Meanwhile, Room 30 students read Collecting Colour by Kylie Dunstan, learning about weaving practices. They created their own vibrant woven artworks using paper, exploring the connection between nature, culture, and creativity.
Reception students in Room 23 investigated traditional Aboriginal symbols and used them to tell their own stories. In Room 7, Year 3 students researched Aboriginal iconography and created powerful “Hands of Reconciliation,” which will be proudly displayed in their classroom. These activities fostered a deeper appreciation of cultural storytelling and symbolism.
Year 1 students in Rooms 18, 20, and 21 engaged in nature-based learning, including scavenger hunts, mandala-making, and sand drawings using Aboriginal symbols. They worked with natural materials to connect with special places in their environment. Room 19, together with their Reception and Year 1 buddies, read The Rainbow Serpent and helped create a collaborative school artwork, celebrating connection to Country and the resourcefulness of First Nations cultures.
Classes explored the artwork Saltwater and the Coastline, which will feature on our new school water fountains. This piece tells the story of Saltwater people and their enduring connection to coastal waterways, further enriching our school’s understanding of the significance of Country.
Earlier in the week, Rooms 15 and 16 hosted a whole-school assembly, sharing our new Acknowledgement of Country video and introducing a special community art project. Our Aboriginal learners, working alongside Dylan, have led the creation of this artwork. We are grateful to the families who came along to contribute to this project and take part in the nature trail.
Through storytelling, art, and connection to land, our students have embraced the spirit of reconciliation and contributed to a more inclusive and culturally aware Woodend Primary School.
