NAIDOC Week

Each year the school celebrates NAIDOC Week with a whole school celebration that shares traditional Aboriginal stories, games and art. Students explore these areas with their peers and teachers. Community members visit the school and take a look at the exciting programs being offered to the students. The Umina Beach Men’s Shed and Cambell’s Home timber and hardware sponsor the event each year and make boomerangs for our Year 5 students to paint.

Reconciliation Art Exhibition: Gosford Regional Art Gallery

Each year our Aboriginal students enter this competition and reflect on their culture through art. The students enter the competition by submitting a collaborative project. In previous years we have entered our school individually and also submitted projects as a learning community, with students from our Brisbane Water Learning Community coming together to produce art works. Students and their families attend this community event which is held during Reconciliation Week each year.

Aboriginal Didgeridoo Workshops Years 5 and 6:

These are held each Wednesday afternoon and our male Aboriginal students are given opportunities to practice their breathing techniques with the school’s didgeridoos which were purchased from a local Aboriginal, Anthony Freeman.

U-Mina Didg and Dance Group

We wish to respectfully acknowledge Uncle Gavi Duncan from Youth Connections, for his sharing of ideas, language, traditional stories, song and dance with our Aboriginal students K-6. Uncle Gavi held workshops with our students and was an integral force behind the establishment of a traditional didg and dance group at our school. He consulted us on protocols and has allowed us to share his dances with our community. The dance group has performed for various assemblies and awards celebrations in our Brisbane Water Learning Community.

Year 4 Cultural Continuum Excursion

Each year our year three aboriginal students are involved in an exciting excursion to learn more about their culture by exploring Bush Tucker. Students from the Brisbane Water Learning Community come together in one place to develop relationships and partnerships across our local schools. The students are given a tour of a bush tucker garden and are explained the traditional and modern uses for them. Lemon Myrtle leaves are collected as a part of the tour and students are taught how to use these leaves to make a delicious Lemon Myrtle slice.

Year 3 Cultural Continuum Excursion

Each year our year three aboriginal students are involved in an exciting excursion to learn more about their culture through an excursion to Pearl Beach to explore Aboriginal middens. Students from the Brisbane Water Learning Community come together in one place to develop relationships and partnerships across our local schools.

Year 1 Cultural Continuum Excursion:

Each year our year one aboriginal students are involved in an exciting excursion to learn more about their culture through traditional dance. Students from the Brisbane Water Learning Community come together in one place to develop relationships and partnerships across our local schools. Umina Public School hosted the 2015 excursion and members of the schools Aboriginal dance group shared their dances with the year one students. The students and staff wish to respectfully acknowledge Uncle Gavi Duncan who taught the students these dances to share with their community.