Acknowledgement of Country
Embedded Files
Kaayi emowamba yiterabul Eva baang ngaroongka awabakaleyn baang nantaa bulowara ngimiliko Awabakal konara pilatoro maantiliko kokeitkoba munukaan ngyen ngarokiinbiliko bangai.
Translation: Hi, my name is Eva and I'm a proud Awabakal woman and I would like to recognise the Awabakal people as the set owners of the place we stand on today.
Acknowledgement read aloud by Eva in the Awabakal language during the NAIDOC Town Hall.
NAIDOC celebrations
NAIDOC celebrations
NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day of Observance Committee. NAIDOC week is held in July and is a time for learning, recognising and celebrating the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.
The theme for this year was 'The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy'. Putting Indigenous youth forward while recognising the resilience and strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout history.
For our NAIDOC celebrations this year, we had many special guests come in to deliver workshops across topics such as dance, singing, weaving and more!
Guests and workshop descriptions below:
Professor Kate Senior – Purai Global Indigenous History Centre
Mr Aiden Powell – Kamilaroi Man, descendant of the Guyinbaraay People on the Namoi River, Purai Global Indigenous History Centre
Dr Jacqueline Wright – Purai Global Indigenous History Centre
Ms Angelina Joshua – Warndarrang woman of the Marrawalwal clan, Ngukurr community, NT
Associate Professor Helen English
Dr Caelli Brooker – Cultural ties to Wangaaypuwan and Kawambarai Country
Professor Heather Sharpe - Univeristy of Newcastle Education Department
Pictured: Special guests with our Cooks Hill Campus NAIDOC committee.
A big thank you to Phelissitie, CHC staff, our special guests and NAIDOC student committee for all your efforts in making this an educational, inspiring and creative celebration.
Creole language with Angelina
Wani yu neim = what is your name?
Main neim im = my name is?
Wani yu frebit daga = what is your favourite food?
Cyanotypes/sun prints with Estelle and Jaqui
Plants native to Newcastle.
Names of plants in Awabakal language/ how to identify different plant species.
Print making.
Truth Telling with Heather
Freedom Rides.
Looking at various sources such as photographs and diary entries/Primary and secondary sources analysis.
Stages of reconciliation.
Weaving with Caelli
How to weave / make fibres weaveable.
Natural fibres.
Made a circle jewellery holder.
Indigenous Games with Tash
Indigenous methods for making balls (animal skin, leaves).
Playing games.
Johnny Cakes
How to cook johnny cakes.
Aboriginal people figured out how to make food while in the camps.
Singing/ Dancing with Helen and Aidyn & Eva
Different Aboriginal dances (the lizard, the snake).
Art with Rayne
Learning about traditional Aboriginal symbols.
Painting on rocks.
Disability Pride Month
Disability Pride Month
July is Disability Pride Month. What is Disability Pride Month and why is it important?
Disability Pride Month celebrates disabled people and their unique community, identity and culture. It is a time when the disabled community can come together to be publicly proud of who we are, celebrate how far the disability movement has come and demand inclusion and equal rights.
Disability Pride Month is important because disability is the largest minority in the world and can happen to anyone at any time. Despite this we are often the most alienated due to being disabled. Disability is just part of human diversity, that is not to say that disability doesn’t disable us and impact us. Being able to connect with your community is so very important. Especially when many of us experience constant feelings of loneliness, isolation and alienation.
Disability Pride Month allows us to shift the focus to the disability community and disabled people and how many challenges we face because of the inaccessibility of society. Disabled people still do not have marriage equality, we are paid deplorable wages and face many challenges advocating for and attaining the support we need to have independence and good mental and physical health.
Some people might wonder why on earth would you be proud to have a disability. Why would you celebrate something that makes your life harder? Even though society is so drastically inaccessible, we face many hardships because of our disability, accessing the care and support you need is so profoundly difficult and all the ableism and discrimination we face, we still show up, we are still here, we have come so far and we are not going anywhere, we are NOT settling for mediocre attempts accessibility. That is something worth celebrating. Disability is part of who we are and part of our identity and we can be proud of that but still be upset when our disability and/or society disable us.
During Disability Pride Month we are publicly proud of who we are and demand inclusion and equality. We acknowledge the challenges we face and experience and support each other in whatever way we can. We stand with our community and allies and show people that we have always been here and always will. Disabled rights are human rights.
There is lots of fabulous information on the Disability Pride Sydney Website: https://disabilitypridesydney.com/what-is-disability-pride-and-what-do-we-stand-for/
-Journal by Ripley and artwork by Kenny.
Advisor of the week - Sam ADV 8
Advisor of the week - Sam ADV 8
We thought it was time to put a spotlight on an advisor! This week we chatted with Sam and found out lots about him, read on to find out for yourself.
I had no idea in high school what I wanted to do career wise, so I went and started an arts degree straight after graduating high school to just keep going with "school" - but then I started a classical music degree and this took over, so I wanted to play in the Opera Orchestras or the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. I went to the University of Newcastle - double degree in Arts and Music, which collapsed into a music degree (Viola major). Although, I have two years of film studies behind me. In order to become a teacher I had to go back to uni and complete a variety of Mathematics courses, because I didn't want to be a music teacher as I have a fear of students with recorders, so I did a compressed Bachelor of Education in 2 years with a specialisation in Mathematics.
Before becoming a teacher, I used to teach the violin full time at several schools. I took/conducted the junior string orchestra at Newcastle Grammar School. I also co-owned and ran the violin shop Hunter Valley Violins - selling and setting up new violins and fixing old violins.
Now that I'm working at Cooks Hill Campus, I try to stay up to date with the news. I have my eyes out for relevant info or placements for my students and their projects. I try to know all about the career options and requirements to help students get to where they want to be.
I also still play viola in local productions and orchestras, mostly the Christ Church Camerata. I have people skills mostly, but I think I am good with explaining mathematics - it still brings me joy. In the future I'd like to get better at small scale woodwork and build a nice chair or build a guitar in one of the guitar making workshops in town.
Announcements
Announcements
CHC Word Search
CHC Word Search
LTI ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The Girls Can Too program will allow 12 female high school students to explore careers in non-traditional construction trades.
TAFE VET courses 2026, expressions of interest now open - If you are in Year 10 (or Year 11 if it's a one year course), TAFE have now published the list of courses available to commence from next year.
More information can be found on the LTI announcement page.
SURVEYS:
Vegetarianism and Animal byproduct
-Jamie, Sammi & Emiel
Thanks for reading!
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