The them for Reconciliation Week 2021 is ‘More Than a Word: Reconciliation Takes Action’. Our school community took action for Reconciliation in many different ways before, during and after Reconciliation Week, and is committed to take ongoing action. You might have seen the amazing learning experiences that students shared at the Reconciliation Week Assembly. If you missed the assembly you view it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_YhmGmV18U where you will also see Uncle Tamaru sharing a Welcome to Country. Ngaitayla to Uncle Tamaru for this very important and special experience. 

Here are just a few of the ways the students, staff and families are taking action for reconciliation: 

• Many of the families in our school community joined Blackwood Reconciliation Group’s Reconciliation Walk on Sunday, 30 May. Students walked with the Coromandel Valley Primary School banner and giant painted hands to show their commitment to Reconciliation. Some students also brought their own flags and banners.
• Aliah and Ashley from RG weren’t able to join the Reconciliation Walk but visited Colebrook Reconciliation Park in their own time with their families.
• Mrs Melbourne’s class read the book Family, written by Aunty Fay Muir and Sue Lawson, illustrated by Jasmine Seymour. Her students noticed the elders in the story and connected to Uncle Tamaru’s Welcome to Country. They said “Mrs Melbourne, we can’t walk in front of Aboriginal people or behind them, we have to walk together!”.
• Following a visit from Uncle Tamaru, where students learned to represent their sense of place using symbols, Eliza from RM went home and drew her own maps to represent her connection to this new learning.
• Valerian from 2OT was so moved about his learning about Reconciliation that he went home and created his own poster.
• Keanu from 6/7H wrote a letter to the Minister for Indigenous Australians about his passion for the Free the Flag movement and suggested a solution for the problem.
• Students in 2M initiated a student-led project to teach the school community Kaurna language by creating artworks and turning them into a book. Copies of the book were given to every class.
• Mrs O’Connell and Mrs Gardner worked with Di Grigg from Blackwood Reconciliation Group to review the school’s collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander resources. Ngaitalya to Di for donating her time and experience.
• Mrs Pelling, Miss Mcintyre, Mrs O’Connell and Mrs Gardner attended the Reconciliation Breakfast on 27 May at the Convention Centre. They were joined by Colebrook Resident Raymond Finn, members of the Blackwood Reconciliation Group, Di Grigg, Anne Barkaway, Helen Sage, Anneka Skirrow and Mayor of Mitcham, Heather Holmes-Ross.

Want to join us in taking action?

• If you’d like to find out more about taking action for Reconciliation with our school community you can join the Coromandel Valley Primary School, Kindergarten and OSHC Reconciliation Working Group. The RAP Working Group is meeting on Thursday, 22 July at 4:30pm at Coromandel Valley Kindergarten. For questions and to RSVP please email gardner980@schools.sa.edu.au

The Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group