Opening Of Yarning Circle

NAIDOC Week Celebrations at YSS

Mununjali Ngari Dance Group at YSS NAIDOC week (photo supplied by YSS)

Together as a school community we celebrated NAIDOC with a week full of activities and learning for our jarjums and staff. Our week started with the opening of our Yarning Circle on Monday.

Our afternoon commenced with Aunty Janis conducting a Smoking Ceremony, followed by a formal Welcome to Country by Aunty Sue, the Mununjali Ngari dances, speeches and a community yarn. On Monday and Tuesday morning our Year 6 jarjums meet with Jermayne from Mununjali Pace program to have a local history lesson. On Wednesday our Year 3 students were yarning and learning all about Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander connections to animals and the animal movements we make when we dance. Year 4 Jarjums learnt the Traditional Game ‘Thapan’ with Tisha and DJ from Gunya Meta.

NAIDOC Dance – Ian with student (photo supplied by YSS)

Thursday saw our Year 2 students be led through an Art workshop with Waylene from Mununjali. The Jarjums learnt about symbols and how they were used by our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people would tell their stories over time. Our Year 5 students had Brendan, Jarrod and Zac from Muninjali Ngari Dance troupe teaching then the Mununjali ‘Play Dance’. A dance taught to Jarjums to teach them about animals and their movements. We finished the week off with our annual Showcase of learning in the hall and whole school parade.

YSS Yarning Circle Opening with staff and guests (photo supplied by YSS)

All classes were invited to submit a piece of First Nations learning
they have done throughout the year for all the school community
to view.

We can’t wait to continue our learning together!

By Judd Mackie (Deputy Principal)