Since 2023, Meriden has been partnering with Ti Tree and Neutral Junction Schools in the Northern Territory through the Yadha Muru Foundation. Each term, different Meriden staff travel to Ti Tree for a week to work alongside local teachers and spend time with Aboriginal Elders and community members. These visits are as much about learning as they are about teaching, sharing classroom practice while deepening our understanding of Country, culture, and the many ways knowledge is passed from generation to generation.

Last week, Mrs Fiona McKinnon and Mrs Natasha Garner joined colleagues from the Senior School at Ti Tree. Our teachers shared insights into literacy, particularly early reading, and learned from Ti Tree teachers and Elders, who bring unique perspectives on language, identity, and learning for students whose first language may not be English.

This learning is directly informing our preparation for the new NSW HSIE (Human Society and Its Environment) syllabus, which rolls out next year. For the first time, Aboriginal Cultures and Histories outcomes will be embedded at every stage. Under Mrs Jenny Wong’s leadership, our teachers are working through the syllabus requirements and drawing on the firsthand knowledge gained from staff who have spent time at Ti Tree. The partnership means that when we teach about connection to Country, Dreaming stories, or Aboriginal languages, our teachers will do so informed by genuine relationships and authentic learning.

Earlier this year, our Year 6 Cultural Awareness Team, supported by Mme Cécile Owen and Ms Ariel Qiao, researched and presented on significant Indigenous Australians as part of our NAIDOC Week celebrations. When students from Ti Tree and Neutral Junction visited Meriden during Terms 3 and 4, our girls were excited to use the research and their understanding to build connections with these students. The visits, coordinated by Mrs Nikki Bowden, gave our girls the chance to meet young people who live on Country and learn from their experiences firsthand.

In Assembly this week, I spoke with the girls about the Great Book Swap, an initiative we support through the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. Students bring a pre-loved book, exchange it for another, and make a gold coin donation. The funds help provide books, many of which are bilingual or in First Languages, to schools in remote communities, supporting early literacy in the languages children speak at home.

One of the strengths of our Junior School is the love of reading our girls develop. By participating in the Great Book Swap, our students are helping to ensure that children in communities like Ti Tree and Neutral Junction have access to books and the opportunities that come with reading. It also means they are able to buy a book that one of their peers has recommended and donated. It is a small action, but it connects directly to something our girls understand and value.