
Yarning circle

Bush tucker garden


Aboriginal Education has been at the forefront of professional development for staff members at East Maitland Public School. Our school has grown in confidence to respectfully embed Aboriginal education in teaching and programming. We have many initiatives to promote Indigenous education in our school from staff visiting local Wonnarua sites for a staff development day, building community partnerships with Mindaribba Land council and Maitland AECG, and attending workshops to build teacher capacity.
You will often hear teachers marking the roll using the word “Anikanya” which means hello in Wonnarua language. Aboriginal language in schools allow Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students to learn together. Learning an Aboriginal language strengthens Aboriginal students’ identity and pride, and the stronger a student’s cultural identity, the better able they are to engage in learning. For non-Aboriginal students, learning a local Aboriginal language provides an insight into and better understanding of the world’s oldest living cultures.
When you visit our school, you notice the Wonnarua language signs at the front entrance and around our school. Our students are encouraged to learn and use local language in classrooms and the playground. Aboriginal Education at East Maitland Public School is not taught just once a year during NAIDOC week celebrations but is embedded in our day to day teaching.
address
32 William Street
East Maitland NSW 2323
telephone 02 4933 7524
We would like to pay our respects and acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land and also pay respect to Elders both past and present.
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