College Cares For Our Common Home
Taking responsibility for the environment was the key learning objective of a full-day incursion experience for St Augustine’s Foundation - Year 4 students on Tuesday 5th March. Students participated in a 90-minute workshop led by Aboriginal artist and Yorta Yorta woman, Tammy-Lee Atkinson who shared a little of her life story and some of her Aboriginal culture expressed through a variety of artworks and artefacts. Students enjoyed the tactile nature of the workshop that enabled them to touch materials like ochre and possum skins. Additionally, Tammy-Lee led some learning about native animals and indigenous plant species. The workshop culminated in each student producing their own native plant or animal design, with selected designs to be refined and turned into decorative waste receptacles to be installed at the College throughout the year.
In addition to Tammy-Lee’s workshop, students also heard from Yorta Yorta Aboriginal Elders, Aunty Greta Morgan and Aunty Hilda Stewart of Parks Victoria. Learning around bushtucker and native species led into a further workshop allowing students the opportunity to have input into the design of a native garden which the College is aiming to have established by National Reconciliation Week in partnership with Kyabram Landcare.
Brigidine Sister’s Cecilia Merrigan csb and Sister Margaret Duffy csb, as well as Catholic Education Sandhurst’s Aboriginal Education Officer, Troy Firebrace, came along in support of the incursion. Further workshops around the faith perspective of caring for our common home, a message perpetuated in Pope Francis 2015 encyclical, ‘Laudato Si’ and a session titled ‘Which bin does it go in?’ generously resourced by the Shire of Campaspe, afforded students a broad range of experiences and perspectives throughout the day.
From here, the College is hopeful of embedding sustainable practices, including minimising waste through nude food lunch boxes to have a visible and positive impact on the local environment.
What some of our students had to say about the incursion:
'Learning about bushtucker we can find nearby was interesting!' Kezia
'The incursion was a great way to learn about Yorta Yorta culture.' Ella A
'I enjoyed learning about the blue banded bee species.' Mia
