{"id":348465,"date":"2024-05-24T15:41:46","date_gmt":"2024-05-24T05:41:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=348465"},"modified":"2024-10-18T12:21:14","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T02:21:14","slug":"language-fosters-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2024\/05\/24\/language-fosters-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"Language ‘Fosters Connection’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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St Joseph’s pre-prep students Sophie and Owen with Aunty Bindy Brown … the school’s pre-prep program aims to foster cultural awareness (Photo: BCE)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

May 24, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n

St Joseph’s School at Murgon has introduced a First Nations Language curriculum into classes this year, after consultations with local Elders.<\/p>\n

It has also introduced “cultural play” into the school’s Term 4 Pre-Prep program to help shape children’s learning, growth and “connectivity”.<\/p>\n

Principal Justin McCarthy said 70 per cent of students at St Joseph’s were First Nations and cultural play was transformative.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough engaging First Nations storytelling and art, our Pre-Prep program fosters cultural awareness and creates an environment where children can freely explore and embrace diverse play experiences,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year, the school has also embraced Brisbane Catholic Education’s First Nations Language Curriculum.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor some of our students, integrating Wakka Wakka language in our school reinforces what they know and understand about their cultures and identities.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis presents an invaluable opportunity to foster a sense of connection and familiarity for our future students.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur school\u2019s Indigenous Liaison Officers also enrich our future students’ educational journeys by promoting every child’s fundamental right to participate in and celebrate diverse play traditions.<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether our Indigenous Liaison Officers reinforce a sense of belonging and pride in culture at school, strengthening connections to culture.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recognise that our duty is not to teach culture but to establish a seamless connection to culture at school.\u201d<\/p>\n

Honouring each student\u2019s cultural identity aligned with the theme for this year\u2019s Under 8s Week (May 15-21) which was “Connecting to Culture Through Play”.<\/strong><\/p>\n

BCE spokesperson Dr Honor Mackley said this theme was special because it highlighted how children learn through play.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year’s theme celebrates different cultures and traditions, providing children with the opportunity to explore themselves and others,” Dr Mackley said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt offers a context for play that fosters a deeper understanding of the world around them.”<\/p>\n

* * *<\/strong><\/h2>\n

There has been a focus on Wakka Wakka language recently in other South Burnett schools,\u00a0 too.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A project begun in 2020 by researchers from the University of Queensland, Queensland University of Technology and Central Queensland University – working in conjunction with local Elders, Cherbourg residents, Cherbourg State School, Murgon State High School and Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council (CASC) – culminated in the publishing of various resources earlier this year which could be used, with permission, by local childcare services, other schools and the broader community.<\/p>\n

The “Binung Ma Na Du Cultural Stories and Living Histories on Wakka Wakka Country” project aimed to create resources to support language revitalisation.<\/p>\n

Workshops were held with school students, Elders and community members to share their experiences.<\/p>\n

The project created a series of videos and podcasts which have been published on the CASC website<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

UPDATE October 3<\/strong>, 2024: The Binung Ma Na Du project has won a UQ Partners in Indigenous Research Excellence Award.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n