I was the Aboriginal Education Teacher from 2017 to mid 2018 at McLaren Vale Primary School. I worked with Rebecca, the ACEO to build a strong sense of community and place of belonging for the students and wider community.
We used SMARTAR goals to develop Oneplans for each Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student and worked with class teachers, leaders, parents, carers and students to ensure the goals were just right and attainable. We held high expectations of all students and supported individual needs, academic and social/emotional.
We role modeled good leadership and teamwork, we provided opportunities for students to do the same. We worked with the Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri communities to assist us with language and connections.
In 2018, Rebecca and I created a leadership program for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Please watch the video above to see the multifaceted project that supported all students and the local community to understand the importance of story, cultural connection, community, sustainability, the arts and collaboration.
From mid 2018, I have been working with Mount barker Waldorf School as the high school art teacher. I have a home group class which I took on as year 8’s in 2019 and will take through to year 12. As part of my role as home group teacher and as the art teacher, I have worked together with students, colleagues and parents to support understanding around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. I have supported knowledge and understanding around the complexities of reconciliation. Students have acknowledged and celebrated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and leaders in the community and worked towards reconciliation at school in a range of ways.
Last year, as part of our Reconciliation Action Plan, I supported students to carve words from the Kevin Rudd sorry speech into pavers. These pavers have now been made into steps that remind us daily of the role we each play in terms of working towards reconciliation in Australia, starting here, within ourselves and our local community and at our school.
heidikaro 