Sarah’s Class: Term 2 Week 6
Dear Parents,
I hope you’ve had a nice, ‘DRY’ weekend. It’s certainly been a wet week which unfortunately prevented us from having our Wingaru excursion down at Tambourine Bay last Tuesday. But it didn’t dampen our spirits, or the day, having it at school. It was an immersive experience which began with a warm welcome to Aunty Leanne (from Wingaru) and an Acknowledgement of Country. All classes rotated through activities which included playing Traditional Indigenous Games in classrooms using soft balls, marbles and sticks (as bats). We learnt the traditional name of the game, rules,a bit about the history and where it originated.
My group then joined Jess & Susan’s class to learn how to weave bracelets. We had a discussion about weaving and what Aboriginal people may have made using Lomandra grass which we have growing here at school. We watched a demonstration video and began the ‘weave’ using pipe cleaners and raffia. Children were challenged, engaged and focused. It was lovely to see such concentration and desire to continue to weave during their break times.
In the middle session we had a workshop with Aunty Leanne who showed us numerous things she brought with her which we all had a chance to touch, hold and smell. The children, respectfully, passed around a possum fur ball which would have been used to play games with. Hunting tools and sticks, carrying vessels, grinding implements and animal pelts.
In the afternoon, we made Damper with wattle seed and drank lemon myrtle tea. In the craft room, we spray painted “Sorry” banners – given it was National Sorry Day! At the end of the day we watched a video and listened to Archie Roach read his book AND sing his song: “They Took the Children Away”. Thanks to Susan for organising Auntie Leanne from Wingaru to come and out sourcing ALL the resources for other activities. It was such a great day!
It was sad we missed Voices for Reconciliation on Thursday but the day we had on Tuesday made the week!
Other things we managed to smash through included looking more into fractions and decimals, specifically, ordering and equivalent. The children are mostly, almost, finished writing and illustrating their Dreaming stories which I am most impressed with. There was a big emphasis placed on their handwriting throughout this process, and I am seeing much improvements and growth coming through in the writing of these stories.
Next Monday, we’re back to Lane Cove library, so please return all books.
And that’s about it!
Love, Sarah