On Wednesday 5 August our Koori students from Years 4 to 11 took part in an anti-vaping and smoking education workshop facilitated by Na Joomelah.
Na Joomelah is a Tackling Indigenous Smoking program run by the La Perouse Local Aboriginal Land Council and funded by the Department of Health and Aged Care. The team serves Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across greater Sydney and the Illawarra with a focus on smoke and vape-free education engagement and community events. Their program artwork features the Burri Burri (humpback whale) which represents the ancestral being that links Dharawal creation stories from Sydney Harbour to the Illawarra.
Bringing Na Joomelah into the School gives our Koori students a workshop grounded in culture and community rather than a generic health talk. It also strengthens something bigger than the day itself: the growing network of Koori mentors, health workers and community leaders who invest their time in guiding our young people. Every visit from a program like Na Joomelah adds another thread to that mentoring network and shows our students that support extends well beyond the classroom.
Students Keith and Shane from Years 9 and 6 shared their experience of the day. The morning opened with a yarn before students worked through a smoking and vaping crossword which got them thinking about the facts behind the health messages.
“The crossword helped us think about important facts and understand more about how these choices can affect our health and wellbeing.”
From there the group moved into creative territory building TikTok videos and acting out scenes about smoking and vaping to bring the messaging to life in their own words.
“We worked together to come up with ideas, create scripts and perform different scenarios that showed why smoking and vaping can be harmful.”
The day wrapped up with vision boards where students used pictures stickers and decorations to reflect on their goals and the things that inspire them.
“This was a great way to reflect on what is important to us and think about the positive things we want to achieve in the future.”
Looking back on the day as a whole Keith and Shane said it was time well spent.
“We finished the day feeling proud of what we had created and the things we had learned.”
Days like this show what happens when culturally grounded programs meet a supportive School community – our students walk away with new knowledge, new skills and a stronger sense of connection to the people looking out for them. We thank Na Joomelah for facilitating such a valuable day and look forward to continuing to build on this partnership. We extend our thanks to Head of Indigenous Education Jade Carr for making this experience possible for our students.
