Marrung Education Plan at Heathmont College

 

 

 

 

Heathmont College acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Lands that we are privileged to walk upon and learn on each day, which is the land of the Wurundjeri People of the Kulin Nation.  We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging, who are our knowledge holders, story keepers and teachers. We thank them for looking after the land, sky and waterways, so we all can enjoy them, and so too can the generations to come. We recognise the special contributions of First Nations peoples and cultures, that enrich and shape the cultural identity of this nation.  

Marrung is a Department of Education strategy to ensure that all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Victoria remain connected to Education and achieve their learning aspirations.

Marrung is the Wemba Wemba word for the Murray Cypress pine tree, representing branches of education and knowledge. Which is what the College aims to support. That is, to encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to stay connected to their education as well as Culture and Country. We support each individual Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student through Individual Education Plans, Student Support Groups and tracking of student engagement and attendance. The College also supports a whole-school approach to educate and support First Nations People’s Culture.

 

At Heathmont College we support and encourage students to connect to Culture through:

1- Regular contact with a Koorie Engagement Support Officer which could include activities such as:

    • Yarning circles
    • Traditional cooking
    • Making possum skin cloaks

 

2- Organising cultural activities such as:

    • Campfire Conversations to support self-determination in education
    • Sand songs (theatrical dance at the art center)
    • Birrarung Wilem Stories at the Koorie Heritage Trust

 

3- Researching ways in which to incorporate First Nations histories and cultures into our curriculum. For example, we designed curriculum for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Maths Alliance (ATSIMA) which was presented Nationally.

 

4- Celebrating and/or acknowledging culturally significant events such as National Sorry Day and NAIDOC week.