Our Aboriginal Programs

• One of the highlights of our school calendar, filled with numerous activities that celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Events include: an assembly, flag-raising ceremony, community morning tea, chalk art at Riverside Park, johnny cake cooking, mufti day and our Kitchen Garden program incorporates bush tucker in their program.

• Over the years, one standout event was a whole school cultural excursion to the Bingie Dreaming Track. At the Bingie Dreaming Track Gathering 2023, students and parents engaged in several cultural activities, such as dhurga language, local cultural talk, weaving and traditional games, facilitated by community Elders and Moruya High School Aboriginal students and staff.

Every day, we acknowledge the traditional custodians of our land through a statement played over our PA system in language. Acknowledgements are also performed at school assemblies, events and meetings. MPS students have also performed the Acknowledgement of Country in the dhurga language at the Eurobodalla Shire Council’s NAIDOC Week Flag Raising ceremony.

The mural by local Aboriginal artist Jamara Nye, is about our students’ special and unique journey through life. The circles represent their meeting place at school at different stages, from Kindergarten to Year 6 and High School. The lines that connect these circles represent their pathways through these important stages of their lives and off into their hope filled futures. The gunjung (black swan) is emblematic of an important animal to the Brinja-Yuin and Walbunja people and the mountains and river represent special parts of Country in our beautiful region. ‘walawaani njindiwan’ means Welcome/Safe Journey in the local dhurga language.

Flown every day.

For more information, please refer to our dedicated section Our Aboriginal Education Officer (AEO). Aboriginal Student Voice- For more information, please refer to our dedicated section Our Aboriginal Student Voice.

For more information, please refer to our dedicated section Our dhurga Language Program.

For more information, please refer to our dedicated section Our Yarn-Up Afternoon Teas.

For more information, please refer to our dedicated section Our Aboriginal Education Committees.

PLPs are developed in consultation and collaboration with the student, families and teachers every year, to identify, organise and apply personal approaches to learning and engagement for success and set short and/or long-term goals.

Every year, some of our students and staff attend the annual Sorry Day Bridge Walk in Batemans Bay to acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were forcibly removed as children from their families and communities. It is a great opportunity to come together with other schools and community to acknowledge, reflect and be a part of this day of healing.

These events promote awareness and understanding of reconciliation. Activities have included: Reconciliation Week assembly and Sea of Hands display.

Conducted by Katungul Aboriginal Medical Service for all our Aboriginal students.

Both programs aim to foster literacy skills through culturally responsive practices, ensuring that Aboriginal students develop strong foundational skills in reading and language.

List of online education programs for children to engage at home, featuring educational games, online books, learning resources, and resources for learning Aboriginal languages.

The school is dedicated to ongoing staff cultural professional development to build staff capacity in supporting Aboriginal students and incorporating cultural understanding in educational practices. Additional to all staff completing the Department's mandatory training, "Aboriginal Cultural Education – Let’s Take the First Step Together," our staff have also attended sessions on:

• On Country Experience - Bingi Dreaming Track cultural walk with Aunty Trish Ellis and dhurga language lesson with Kerry Boyenga, aimed at deepening staff knowledge of local culture and language.
• Personal Learning Pathways (PLP) course – Reaffirming the importance of PLPs for all Aboriginal students and exploring PLP processes.
• Aboriginal Histories and Cultures course– With a focus on Aboriginal histories and cultures and integrating Aboriginal perspectives into curriculum.
• Aboriginal Pedagogy Course- Learning about the eight Aboriginal pedagogies for teacher practice and planning.

The Indigenous Reading Project runs an annual national program focused on enhancing reading skills among Aboriginal students, specifically those in years 3 to 6. Through the E-reading program, students are loaned a tablet and granted access to a cloud library. Their reading progress is monitored over time, and those who show significant improvement in their skills can keep the tablet. The program emphasises good attendance and aims to motivate students to improve their reading abilities.

over the years, these have included:

• Yiridbu Minga ‘Connecting to Country’ Program - A 7-week program involving 15 Aboriginal students from Years 4 to 6, along with their friends (total 25 students). Activities included ‘On Country’ experiences, smoking ceremonies, traditional dances, and bush food experiences, culminating in a day with students from other schools.
• Gadhungal Marring Cultural Day- This one-day workshop, organised by the AECG NSW, brought together Aboriginal students from various schools in the area. The event featured a range of engaging activities designed to celebrate and explore Aboriginal culture, including dance, boomerang throwing, painting and activity on traditional artefacts.
• Boys’ didge group with Uncle Darryl.

Over the years, our students have participated in some of the Online Programs offered by the AECG (Aboriginal Education Consultative Group) NSW, such as their Lifestyle program that covered leadership, mindset and wellbeing, and the Gamilaraay Yuwaalaraay Yuwaalayaay Language session.

In collaboration with Moruya High School’s Clontarf program in 2023.

In 2024 some of our students participated in the Department’s Aboriginal primary Dance Workshop. This is a collaboration between the Department of Education and Brolga Aboriginal Dance Academy, this workshop provided our students with an opportunity to engage in traditional and contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance. One of the dances we learnt, our students went on to perform at our NAIDOC Week assembly and at Moruya High School’s MAD (Music, Art and Drama) matinee show.

The aim of the project was to foster creativity and collaboration among young talented Aboriginal artists in the community. The workshop focused on creativity, collaboration, and Aboriginal design principles, culminating in a collaborative artwork to be displayed at the University of Wollongong’s Eurobodalla campus.

In 2023 some of our Aboriginal girls, with a friend, were invited to participate in planting some local coastal rainforest species in the Moruya Micro-Forest located at the front of St John’s Parish Moruya.