NAIDOC 2022 at Maclean High School.
Maclean High School has lived up to the theme of NAIDOC this year – ‘Get Up! Stand Up! Show Up!’ – in several projects at the school and with our primary schools.
Firstly, the school acknowledged NAIDOC Week through workshops run by the Aboriginal Education Team led by Anjanette Warburton, Krystal Randall, Sam Kapeen, Raquel Mercy and Deborah Breckenridge. The workshops involved students in Year 7, who were able to look at and ask questions about artefacts, tools and grinding stones. Students then participated in a weaving demonstration followed by a Kahoot, testing their general knowledge about Aboriginal culture as well as things unique to Yaegl Country.
All the students in the school were then invited to share a lunch smorgasbord that had been prepared by the staff and community members. Students enjoyed pippi fritters, fry bread, curried prawns, kangaroo stew and chicken curry, as well as a South Pacific dessert, cocoa rice. Students also enjoyed lemon myrtle cordial. The lunch was a tremendous success with over 200 lunches served.
Maclean High School was invited to Maclean Public School to assist them with an artwork project as part of their NAIDOC celebrations. About ten students went to the primary school and helped the students in designing and painting artwork that will be put on display in an exhibition later on in the year.
The Maclean High School Aboriginal Dancers were in high demand, being invited to assist in NAIDOC celebrations and assemblies that were held at Yamba Public School and St Joseph’s Primary School Maclean. The students performed a Welcome Dance as well as a Cleansing Dance. They also assisted the students with artwork as well as choreographing kangaroo, emu, eagle and fish movements in the dance. They had a captive audience, and the primary and infant students were very keen to participate and enjoyed dancing with our secondary students.
Special thanks to Aunty Krystal, Aunty Ange and Uncle Sam for organising our students to go to the primary schools and collaborating with the primary schools in these important cultural events.
Our dancers were exemplary ambassadors for our school and Aboriginal culture.
Well done to all the students involved.
