Our Koori Club has had a purposeful and connected start to the year, with students coming together across year levels to learn, share culture and build pathways for the future.
On Friday 6 March, Koori Club students gathered for their first morning tea of the year. Students shared food, danced together and spent time strengthening connections as a group. This gathering set the tone for the year ahead and helped prepare students for upcoming shared experiences, including their visit to Taronga Zoo. It was an opportunity to build a sense of belonging and collective identity that underpins the work of Koori Club throughout the year.
On Wednesday 4 March, Marlee (Year 12) and Alex (Year 11), alongside Mrs Carr, attended the Bandu Future Ready Day at the Laing O’Rourke corporate offices in North Sydney. The day focused on supporting Indigenous students to prepare for life after School through practical workshops and direct industry engagement.
Throughout the program, students participated in sessions on budgeting, CV writing and interview preparation. They also heard from a graduate panel and took part in career speed dating, gaining insight into a range of career pathways and employment opportunities. The experience supported students to build confidence, expand their networks and develop a clearer understanding of the options available to them beyond School. For our senior students, this kind of exposure is a critical step in turning aspirations into achievable plans.
Then on Tuesday 10 March, Kindergarten to Year 6 students took part in a visit to Taronga Zoo through the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. As part of the day, students participated in a book swap, choosing new stories to take home and share with their families.
This experience is important not only for developing literacy skills but for strengthening cultural identity and connection to story. Access to culturally relevant books helps students see themselves reflected in what they read and reinforces the value of First Nations voices and perspectives. Hear from the students about what they enjoyed and learnt:
Today I went to the zoo with the IGS Koori Club. We saw Capybara, gorillas, snakes, lizards, frogs and spiders. I chose Ratbags cause it looked like a fun adventurous book. If you don’t know about the book swap i’ll tell you now. Book swaps are community-focused events where people exchange books, often to promote reading and sustainability. (Yuin, Year 5)
You could choose a book and I chose 2 books, they are called Wurrtoo and Deadly Science: Wild Weather. I chose Wurrtoo because I like all the pages and the pictures. And I chose Deadly Science: Wild Weather because I like learning about science. We went to the zoo because we are Koori kids, but not just because of that, also because we got to meet other koori kids from different schools. We are very lucky we go to these things. Thank you Jade and Ms Sampson. (Rydah, Year 4)
I chose Dreaming illustrated by David Hardy because it is a Aboriginal book and also because it has Aboriginal words that you can learn. (Avahni, Year 4)
I chose my book because the colour stood out and it looked pretty. It is good to read because you can experience new stories in every book. AND Andy Griffiths signed my book. (Taya, Year 5)
My book is called Winthali is a traditional Bunuba story adapted by Joe Willigan Ross and illustrated by Remi Nyandat Ross and Boheme Ross. (Kehlani, Year 2)
