Students at St Alipius Parish School have been using the arts to understand more about first nations people in preparation for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee Week.
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Principal Emily Clarke said with 27 Aborginal and Torres Strait Islander students at the school it is important for the whole school to recognise the week.
Since the official dates, July 3 to 10 will fall in the school holidays students spent the last week of term two learning from a variety of people including representatives from the Ballarat and District Aboriginal Co-operative and Indigenous Outreach Projects.
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Student Alanna was moved by what she learnt over the week and created a t-shirt with the NAIDOC theme.
She said they had been speaking about different aspects of NAIDOC week a lot in classes as well as other activities, including at a whole school assembly on Thursday.
"We had some people talk to us about their life and how some people had been racist to them," Alanna said.
After speaking about the NAIDOC week theme 'get up, stand up, show up' at school she went home and convinced her mum to let her paint one of her white shirts in time for casual clothes day on Friday.
She said the week of activities had taught her new things.
"I did not know that Aborigional culture is the oldest living culture," Alanna said.
The Indigenous Outreach Project introduced their hip hop workshops to the whole school in an assembly on Friday.
"(They told us) we have to have no shame, be proud and respect," Alanna said.
Workshop facilitator Scarlett Frances spent the morning encouraging students to be confident as the next future leaders.
"We use hip hop in the arts as a communication for change," she said. "While we are teaching the kids we try and educate them on closing the gap and learning about the Indigenous Australians," Ms Frances said.
She said she finds students are way more engaged when they are participating in an art activity whether it be making a mural or dancing in a hip hop class.
"We are trying to spread awareness around it and want them to branch out on their own and do further research," Ms Frances said. "We encourage the kids to jump on our YouTube channels and watch the documentaries of people, elders and the amazing country here."
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