From the uniform and building names to community consultation and learning, Aboriginal perspectives and culture is woven into the fabric of Googong Public School.
In this leadership Q&A, Teacher speaks to principal Rebekah Lindsay, a 2024 NAIDOC Teacher of the Year Award winner, about their approach and the success it’s bringing.
Congratulations on being named the 2024 ACT and surrounds NAIDOC Teacher of the Year Award winner! Can you tell us how the nomination came about?
I was nominated by a parent of my school. I first heard about it when she emailed to inform me she was nominating me. As part of the criteria for the nomination, she had to outline what outstanding involvement and/or achievements in the community had I made in the last 12 months and what impact this has had on the community.
I was very humbled to be considered, even more so seeing as our efforts had been recognised by our students and families. To be nominated by a parent meant so much to me.
Googong Public School is still relatively new, opening just last year. How has that been?
Establishing a new school was an exciting but also daunting opportunity – the township of Googong is only 10 years old itself! [But] to be able to set things up from the start and engage in appropriate consultation from the outset made it a very attractive opportunity for me. It was a big responsibility to be able to set the tone of Googong Public School and how we operate within the community for the benefit of our students, and one I didn’t take lightly.
My vision as the founding principal was to ensure the whole school community were a part of the establishment and had a strong voice in the creation of the vision for the school. I am passionate about student advocacy as well as ensuring we have a culturally safe environment that celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, history and culture. It is a shared history that is part of us all as Australians. I was also determined to ensure the school gave appropriate recognition that it is built on the Lands of the Ngambri and Ngunnawal People.
The award acknowledged your work to embed Aboriginal culture and perspectives into the fabric of Googong Public School. Can you tell us a bit about how you’ve done that?
At Googong Public School it is more than [just] the programs we engage with – it is about the learning culture we have created alongside the ongoing consultation and engagement with the Aboriginal community. All students and staff are involved in learning about, and being proud of, the world’s oldest living history and culture.
As soon as I was appointed, I began consulting with the Aboriginal community, specifically Ngambri Elder Dr Aunty Matilda House, to ensure that Aboriginal culture was embedded as part of the fabric of Googong Public School. She consulted on all aspects of the school, including the school design.
As a result, Aboriginal perspectives and concepts have been woven throughout many aspects of our school from the logo, uniforms, school design, internal procedures, building names and signage, learning modes, and learning programs.
As a proud Aboriginal person, I am humbled by my staff’s dedication to creating culturally safe environments for our school community. They ensure Aboriginal perspectives are considered and embedded as part of our learning culture in all Key Learning Areas, as well as our wellbeing programs, championed by our mascot, the Googah (Ngambri word for Goanna).
Amazing. I’d love to hear more about the school design!
Visual representation was our starting point, with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags that fly alongside the Australian flag. There is an Acknowledgement of Country on the sign as you enter. The Land is represented by the buildings, the sky is represented through the signage and artworks that depict the significant birds within the area, and our student uniform represents the water that flows in, through and around our school. All buildings and learning hubs are named in Ngambri language further highlighting the elements of Land, Sky and Water. There is additional signage throughout the school explaining the significance of the design elements to the students and visitors.
In addition, we have yarning circles right in the middle of the playground, and bush tucker gardens as part of the landscaping that all students access at all times. The school was designed with an amazing view of the surrounding mountains, representing Aunty Matilda’s consultation when she first walked onsite, describing that the hills and mountains belong to the students. The school is nested within the community that is nested within the mountains surrounding Googong. She explained that the students could look out and see the Wedge Tail Eagle, the totem of the Ngambri and Ngunnawal People, soaring above and watching over our school. This is also represented in the artwork.
In addition to those visual representations, how does Googong Public School embed Aboriginal perspectives into its practices?
We have an Aboriginal student group, led by one of our Aboriginal teachers, that meets fortnightly. The main purpose of the group is to build a sense of belonging and connection for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students across the school. We also have a student parliament that provides a voice on the operation of the school, with Aboriginal Education being the portfolio of 2 of the Student Ministers.
Aboriginal parent afternoon tea and yarn up sessions, in addition to Aboriginal student Personalised Learning Pathways meetings, are conducted each semester to consult on what we are doing and what we could do better.
Aboriginal perspectives are considered when writing all teaching and learning programs and embedded appropriately where possible.
We also have additional transition activities with the local high school and their Step Up Sisters and Clontarf programs.
The symbol of the goanna (that tracks through our logo) represent the pathways for our students. All procedures that are created have these pathways as a watermark, continuously reminding us that every procedure or process we create, must consider the needs and pathways for the students within the school, however, it also prompts us to ask ourselves the question, ‘is this appropriate or inclusive for our Aboriginal students?’
How do you ensure everyone at the school champions these same values?
We all engage in compulsory Aboriginal culture and history professional learning delivered by the New South Wales Department of Education, but we also engage in professional learning from Reconciliation Australia and more importantly we engage in learning through the consultation with the Aboriginal community. Furthermore, Aboriginal perspectives are not always delivered as part of a separate professional learning session to our staff, we often include discussion in relation to Aboriginal perspective as a lens applied to whatever the topic we are focusing on.
Underlying all of what we have implemented is continued high expectations of our staff to continually learn from our community and be responsive to their needs, including continual consultation and evaluation of what we are doing and the direction we are heading.
We are always looking for opportunities to promote cultural safety and pride.
What are some of the outcomes that you’re seeing at Googong Public School, thanks to this championing of Aboriginal culture and perspectives?
Aboriginal students identifying with pride, but also the whole school community, including non-Aboriginal students, staff and parents, are using Ngambri language and demonstrating an increased knowledge of Aboriginal histories and culture.
Staff report increased confidence to embed cultural perspectives into their teaching and learning.
Aboriginal students are reporting a positive sense of wellbeing and connection at Googong Public School. Aboriginal parents are reporting they are welcomed and are providing us with very positive feedback on the opportunities we provide to come in and consult on what we do and what we could do better within the school.
Have there been any particular challenges you’ve had to navigate?
No not really!
If you take the time to listen to the needs of the community, it is easier to respond, adapt and improve.
I endeavour to lead with transparency in my intentions and high expectations; whilst we do well in creating a culturally safe environment, it is imperative we continue to listen to our community and evaluate with a focus on continuous improvement.
Any advice for other schools?
Listen and listen some more to your Aboriginal students and community.
Although programs and initiatives can be fantastic, it is the little things that we do that sometimes make the biggest difference.
Principal Rebekah Lindsay says that listening to and consulting with the Aboriginal community is integral to creating a culturally safe and inclusive environment. Thinking about your own school context, do you engage in meaningful consultation and communication that informs your approach to cultural inclusivity?
Does your school have a Reconciliation Action Plan? If not, is it something you have considered?
Championing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and perspectives requires staff members to be confident in their own cultural competency. As a school leader, are your staff afforded sufficient opportunities and support in this area?
