Students celebrate Indigenous Literacy Day

1/09/2021
​​​​Click on photo to watch Siena's students Acknowledgement of Country​​

​Siena Catholic Primary School students in Sippy Downs are celebrating the stories and languages of our Indigenous Australians as part of the school's commitment to achieving Reconciliation in Action.

For Indigenous Literacy Day this year, 1 September First Nations students from the school came together to produce an Acknow​ledgement of Country video to be shared across their school and for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation's virtual celebrations.

​​

Annabel Warner, Support Teacher for Inclusive Education, who helped the students create the video said, “by celebrating stories and languages, we are sharing First Nations cultures with Siena's community".

“At Siena, we acknowledge the Kabi Kabi people as the traditional custodians of the ancestral lands and waterways upon which our school is built and we all now call home," Annabel said.

“We particularly wanted to showcase the language for 'welcome' and 'greeting on the land we are learning on' by those students from whom it was appropriate to do so.

“The sense of identity, visible pride and smiles on the kids' faces as we gathered to watch our finished video was truly heart-warming."

The school will be joining the virtual activities and events being run by the Foundation this year, as well as continuing their ongoing support and fundraising.

“Encouraging literacy for some of our most marginalised and disadvantaged students, as well as preserving language, is so very important for our Country," Annabel said.

“We have made a biennial commitment to support the Foundation to help raise funds for the Great Book Swap. We purchase the texts created by Indigenous communities and authors for our students to access.

“For the past three years, Siena Catholic College teacher Kylea Fern has coordinated activities to promote the sharing and reading of indigenous texts at Siena Catholic Primary school as one way to work towards closing the gap," Annabel said.

Siena Catholic Primary School Principal Glen Bucklar said as a school we are committed to great outcomes for First Nations students.

“We are working on the development of our first Reconciliation Action Plan," Mr Bucklar said.

“In conjunction with our community, this will ensure we 'walk the talk' when it comes to literacy outcomes for our indigenous students. This should be a priority for all Australian communities."

BCE Education Officer for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement, Erin Dougherty said “many of our remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have very few books, particularly culturally appropriate stories.

“Indigenous Literacy Day gives us a chance to raise awareness of the literacy gaps and show support to increase the literacy levels in our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. It is also an opportunity to shine a spotlight on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors, books, stories and languages," Erin said. 


​​

Top stories