Celebrating Aboriginal culture is especially important to Dudley Park Primary School, where about a quarter of students have Aboriginal heritage.
It comes as no surprise, then, that their NAIDOC week celebrations were something special, kicking off with a breakfast shared by parents, children and community of damper, yonga dartj (kangaroo stew), tea and coffee.
The students’ art was on display around the quadrangle, exploring themes of community.
Paul Morrison, an Aboriginal Indigenous education officer (AIEO) from Dudley Park gave the welcome to country to open the NAIDOC day assembly.
George Walley performed a song about rain on the estuary and taking care of elders in the cold, teaching lyrics in nyungah language to the children as he went.
The Boys and Girls Aboriginal Dance Group, made up of students from the school, performed traditional dances to the didgeridoo of Kaed Kearing, and Mr Morrison explained that the older students pass on the dancing to the younger students (who were keeping rhythm with tapping sticks in this performance) once the others go to high school.
To finish up, the year 1 choir sang about Aboriginal culture, and the Dudley Park Glee Club performed a modern piece complete with a rap solo.
Deputy principal Alicia Jeffries said NAIDOC week was really important to the school.
“We try to embed a lot of the Aboriginal culture into our school,” she said.
“It’s really important to us to celebrate [our Aboriginal students’] culture, and share it with the rest of the school.”
NAIDOC week officially runs from July 3-10.
