DONATION FOR YARNING CIRCLE: Forbes Public School Principal Megan Staples (centre) with reps from Evolution with the cheque.
Forbes Public School (FPS) vision for a proposed shade structure and Yarning Circle to support the school community’s identified needs has come to fruition in the shape of a $14,712 grant from Evolution Mining – Lake Cowal.
Forbes Public has a strong Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islanders (ATSI) community consisting of 77 students and are committed to celebrating this year’s NAIDOC theme “Heal Country” via the construction of a beautiful yarning circle with large rocks around a large gravel circle.
Forbes Public aim to use this every morning to simulate Aboriginal customs and culture and host Junior Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) meetings (we are the most central school to Forbes CBD) the application stated with the aim to also run NAIDOC Week activities.
The initiative will directly benefit Forbes Public’s ATSI community as well as the 328 FPS students and staff.
Local ATSI Elders and community artists, dancers, language teachers as well as Wir-adjuri support groups will be invited to use the space to meet and share on Country in the middle of town with excellent wheel-chair access and abundant parting.
The shaded Yarning Circle allows FPS to effectively collaborate with local Wiradjuri ATSI community by Working with Peter White at the Wiradjuri Lands Council & AECG to form strong platforms for collective efficacy between students, staff and community around improving outcomes for Indigenous students.
Forbes Public’s shaded Yarning Circle project also supports the school Stronger Smarter Program, developed by Dr Chris Sarra, now used in schools to embrace a strong and positive sense of what it means to be Aboriginal in contemporary Australian society.
The school’s vision is a school where all people are strong in culture, strong in identity and enjoy prosperous, safe and healthy lives. FPS aims to improve the educational outcomes for ATSI children.