Wugubank 2012 National Reconciliation Week Wugubank is the title given to a developing partnership involving 2 schools Penbank School, a co-educational, independent primary school situated on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria and the Wugularr School at Beswick, an hours drive east of Katherine, Northern Territory.
Both schools are small schools with a similar level of enrolment.
The Wugubank Partnership began when a teacher from Penbank took leave to work in the Northern Territory the Wugularr School was his post.
During this 18-month period of leave, a number of Penbank teachers including the school principal visited the Wugularr School.
When at Wugularr, they worked in a voluntary capacity supporting the school in areas of need such as Art and Library.
Since then, strong and supportive relationships have developed between teachers and students from Penbank and Wugularr.
Wugularr students have continued to enjoy visits from the Penbank teachers and experienced their first trip to Penbank in August 2010.
Last year, twenty-four Year 5 6 Penbank students visited the Wugularr School, which also included a joint camp to Katherine Gorge and Kakadu involving a Wugubank Mob of 40 students.
It was a most amazing experience The purpose of the Wugubank partnership is to provide an educative experience through relationship building and school visits.
It is based on the premise that young children naturally interact with each other and are not unduly affected by the barriers of culture or language.
Children are generally free from prejudice and purely love to play and learn.
In a school setting and through structured and appropriate educational exchanges, the Wugubank Partnership enables the children from each school to understand and influence each other about their world.
The Wugubank Partnership aims to develop long term relationships over time, thus establishing trust, personal respect and connections with the view of broadening horizons for all.
A key feature of the Wugubank Partnership is the importance of learning through personal connections and involvement, genuine respect and consideration of others.
The Wugubank Partnership reinforces that school is a normal thing to do for all children and young people, which is enabled through quality experiences at a joint level when Penbank and Wugularr students interact with each other.
During Reconciliation Week, May 2012 the Wugularr students returned to Penbank once again.
This year Woodleigh School joined the partnership involving Year 7 and 8 students in the program.
Many of these students had visited the Wugularr community last year and were keen to catch up with their friends again.
It was a pleasure involving these students in various experiences including the Kids Teaching Kids Program held at Penbank, and for those older Wugularr students who spent time at Woodleigh they absolutely loved the activities, especially participating in the Woodleigh football matches Let's Talk Recognition the theme for this year s Reconciliation Week, was the focus throughout the Reconciliation School Meeting Assembly held at Penbank.
Recognition is about showing appreciation, so in talking recognition, there is much to appreciate.
For the Penbank and Woodleigh students, they can especially appreciate the friendship and learning from their Wugularr mates the sharing of their country, their stories and school is always so amazing and interesting.
The same would be for the Wugularr Mob the wonderful times they enjoy when at Penbank and now Woodleigh highlights for them were the Woodleigh Nature Reserve where they learnt about the environment, interacted with emus, kangaroos and Eastern Qualls and involvement in Art, footy, surfing, dancing and special times with teachers.
As schools working together, we have talked Recognition around fireplaces and have shown appreciation and respect through the Welcome to Country, raising the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags and singing songs.
Sadly, the Wugubank Week drew to a close at the Royal Melbourne Zoo with a heartfelt, Boh Boh once again, which means, See you later or Until we meet again.
It is with immense gratitude that all 3 school communities and others are acknowledged and thanked the Katherine Group School, Woodleigh, Penbank teachers and parents, the Rosey Kids Foundation, Virgin Airlines and so many others for wholeheartedly supporting what is more than, Talking Recognition.
The Wugubank Partnership is a most powerful and life changing initiative.
- Vivienne Wearne, Principal 92 GoodLife - Spring 2012...
august, september, october.