Rapids Landing embraces NAIDOC Week | Photos

Celebrations for NAIDOC Week were in full swing earlier this month at Rapids Landing Primary School, where students and staff took the opportunity to learn about First Nations culture and history while participating in celebrations of the oldest continuing living cultures on Earth.

Rapids Landing Teacher and Cultural Awareness Leader Amy Goodman said celebrations started with a whole-school creative collaboration, with classes working together on a large sand mural aligned with this year’s theme, ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud’.

“Our design was created by Rosie Paine, a Noongar artist and teacher from Perth,” Amy explained.

“It represents the connections between individuals, families, communities, schools, businesses and organisations to create a stronger future for all. We thank Rosie for allowing us to use her artwork.”

“Throughout the day, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students also had the opportunity to plant bush tucker plants with Jarryd from Bunnings,” Amy said.

Staff and students also had the chance to try crocodile and kangaroo sausages, and kangaroo soup with damper, while staff were treated to kangaroo curry with damper in the staff room.

“We continued to strengthen our mutual relationship with Busselton Senior High School, with Naomi and the girls from the STARS foundation joining us and helping to celebrate by painting children’s faces and cooking food for our students to sample.”

Amy said the week continued with activities inside the classrooms, with students donning badges created each day and taking part in a poster colouring competition.

“Lizzie (Hull) and I found it extremely hard to select winners as there were so many outstanding entries,” she said.

“Thank you to all the students that submitted entries and to Bunnings and the Margaret River Visitor Centre for generously donating the prizes.

“I would like to thank Lizzie Hull, our amazing Aboriginal and Islander Education Officer, for all her hard work in coordinating and facilitating activities, cooking all the food with husband Dave and sharing her knowledge and culture with us.

“I would also like to thank Jarryd from Bunnings Margaret River for his amazing donation of sand, plants and time, he really went above and beyond to help us.

“Finally thank you to our amazing EA, Heath for helping us again with his amazing artistic skills, completing the outline for our sand mural, and our gardener Ben for his time and assistance.”