2023 Highlights
NAIDOC celebrations
In June we celebrated NAIDOC week with an assembly led by our Junior AECG leadership team with Aunty Dawn Conlan as our guest speaker. Our students provided amazing performances including Aboriginal Dance performances by Nate Wright (Year 10) and his family. Our music students also performed proudly at our celebrations. Students, families and community enjoyed morning tea and cake after the assembly enjoying time to chat and connect.
Glenrock Lagoon Cultural Excursion
Students from all year groups participated in the Glenrock Lagoon Cultural Excursion which included a guided tour of Glenrock State recreational area with Amos, a local Aboriginal man who was raised in the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie region. The tour began with a yadiki performance. Students walked through the area and were given the opportunity to try bush tucker and provided with information and examples of significant sites. Flora and fauna, artefacts and tools. Students were taught and practiced the local language, and discussed the importance of their identity and culture.
Terracotta Pots
Workshop Students participated in an art workshop with Wayde Clarke, a First Nations artist, where they used Aboriginal art symbols to create artworks on terracotta pots. The pots will be completed this term, filled with plants and on display in the yarning circle.
Yarning Circle
Work continues in the yarning circle area with timber poles ordered for students to replicate their previously planned artwork and erected as a feature in the yarning circle. Gardening work continues in this area also with students taking pride in continuing to develop this feature of our school.
Wollatuka Engagement Camp
Two students from Year 9 attended the Wollatuka Engagement Camp at Point Wolstoncroft Sports and Recreation Centre from 30 August to 1 September. This included a mix of learning, recreational and cultural activities promoting teamwork and co-operation through problem solving, skill development and interactive hands-on learning opportunities.
Indigenous Artist Workshops
Indigenous artist Lizzy Stageman worked with students over two days as part of the Visual Arts High Potential and Gifted Education Program at WBHS. Students from our partner primary schools and our Year 9 Visual Arts elective classes participated in designing resolving a site-specific mural.
Office Artwork
Students are continuing to showcase their artwork skills with a feature piece finalised and erected in the foyer area of the administration office providing a beautiful banner for the office window area. The Art and TAS departments are facilitating more student artwork to feature in the canteen area with students invited to work to create this piece as soon as possible.
Kilipiynpiyn Workshops
Students have participated in three workshops over the course of Terms 3 and 4 with Aunty Michelle Earl from Kilipiynpiyn Workshops. In the first session, students painted their birth animals (provided photos). In their second two sessions they worked on weaving techniques by making bracelets, baskets and dilly bags.
Indigenous Literacy Day
Our Junior AECG, in collaboration with the SRC, ran the first celebration of Indigenous Literacy Day at WBHS on September 6. Led by Ms Bedforth (WBHS teacher) and Madison Taranto (JAECG Leader), students ran a BBQ Fundraiser at lunchtime and raised awareness of the work of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation by handing out bookmarks.
Transition Day
For the first time, WBHS held a Transition Day for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled in Year 7 for 2024. Our JAECG students led cultural activities including weaving, painting and storytelling. This was a great opportunity for our incoming Year 7 students to build connections with their peers and get to know their teachers before next year.
New WBHS polo shirts
Our WBHS polo shirt design has been finalised in collaboration with our Junior AECG and designing artist, exstudent Kyah Stewart. The school polo will be able to be worn as part of the everyday school uniform by all students. A staff polo shirt featuring the same design will also be available. The polo shirt is now in the final stages before production and we look forward to seeing our students wearing our new polo shirt as soon as possible.
Staff Professional Learning
WBHS staff have participated in ongoing professional learning with Dan Collins (Wollotuka Institute). Dan presented on two occasions to the school executive team and whole staff around best practice in supporting all students at WBHS.
Maths Tutoring Program
The Maths Tutoring program for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students has continued throughout Term 3 and 4 with students receiving support to improve their numeracy skills and Mathematics outcomes. Teachers have also used this time to support students across a variety of academic areas as indicated by the students to address current and relevant areas that require support.
Yamuloong Centre Visit
Our Support Unit students and staff have recently attended an excursion to Yamuloong Centre at Garden Suburb to learn about Aboriginal history and culture. Students got to experience bush tucker and Aboriginal artefacts while learning about the culture, stories and traditions of the Awabakal people.
Warners Bay COS logo
Samantha Martin our Visual Arts teacher worked with the design ideas provided by our WBHS and partner primary students from Semester One, with feedback from our CoS Principals, to create our new Warners Bay Community of Schools Logo.
Support Unit Picnic Table
Tazmyne Luschwitz worked with our Support Unit as an Intern Teacher this term. Tazmyne is a proud Djangadi Aboriginal woman who shared her experience and culture with our students while on placement at WBHS. Tazmyne worked with our students to design and paint a picnic table in the Support Unit area.
Individual Student Success
Our students have had some wonderful individual success in 2023 including; Luke Bradley from Year 12 whose TAS HSC Major Work has been shortlisted for consideration in Shape and Millie Fuller who has competed as part of the Australian Indigenous Budgies Netball team at the International Netball Carnival in Queensland against countries including New Zealand and Samoa and also been selected for the Netball NSW First Nation’s Netball camp.
Further individual success was celebrated at the recent inaugural Warners Bay Community of Schools Kili Biin Biin Awards supported by our Kumaridha Local AECG. Simone Johnson received the Pride in Culture award, Jaiden James received the Academic Achievement award, Millie Fuller received the Sporting Achievement award and Nate Wright received the Strong and Deadly award. Madison Taranto received the Kili Biin Biin award prize and scholarship.
