At 10 a.m. on 1 August 2022 Tea Gardens Public School officially opened our yarning circle. Many thanks to Murrook Cultural Centre for their support with the Welcome to Country and the Smoking Ceremony.
It was great to have Uncle John Ridgeway perform a Welcome to Country and sing his song ‘Worimi Man’. Thanks to Uncle Justin Ridgeway for leading the smoking ceremony. Special thanks to Aunty Fran Flaus for her support too in accepting the area on the behalf of everyone within our school community, and Thomas Franks on the didgeridoo who also provided boomerangs and emu-callers. Thomas generously spent time in each of our classrooms in Term 2 working with the students as we prepared for NAIDOC Week. Thanks to our parents and community for supporting the opening and lunchtime activities.
The inclusion of a yarning circle at Tea Gardens Public School is very exciting. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been using yarning circles for thousands of years. Our yarning circle is a place for everyone to be provided with an opportunity to talk, share, discuss, educate and have a yarn together in a safe non- judgmental place.
The inclusion of a yarning circle at Tea Gardens Public School represents our ongoing commitment to supporting and sharing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and acknowledges the connection between our school and the local Worimi community. The yarning circle’s prominent location at the front of the school ensures that it is a significant and accessible meeting place and space for our local Aboriginal community as well as the wider Tea Gardens community. The Myall River dolphin mosaic was contributed to by all school members as part of a previous year’s NAIDOC celebrations and represents the first Worimi.
