Lessons learnt in 2005
Obtaining appropriate endorsement
Jeff Ward, PrincipalThis video requires QuickTime to be installed.
Download and install the latest version of QuickTime.'And because we’ve really been careful and followed the protocols that are needed to set up a program like this. You can’t just pick up a program and run with it. You really need to really work with your local Aboriginal community. You need to follow the protocols, involve the Elders, involve the community right at the beginning and get them talking about the language program.'
Jeff Ward, Principal, Broulee Public School, 23/11/05
'We’ve actually at a local level, … for the last four years I’ve taken everything that we’re doing to a local AECG level and I’ve taken it to a regional AECG level and fortunately Waine’s [Donovan] been to a lot of the regional meetings, of which I’m the president, and we’ve presented to them what we’ve been doing, the processes that we’ve gone through and how it’s gone before the Lands Council meetings and the state AECG and ASSPA and all the rest of it and we’ve sort of said at those levels that we’ve taken it through that channels and we have the support of the local and regional AECG.'
Kerry Boyenga, Classroom and Dhurga Teacher, Broulee Public School, 23/11/05
'We have done it through the local AECG, which is Moruya AECG. Then we have a regional AECG, which is from Eden up to Bateman’s Bay and Waine and I have talked about it at regional meetings and people are very aware of what’s going on, but then in the last holidays the fact that we presented it along with Jeff [Ward] and Ursula [Brown] at the State AECG meeting. … We actually ran them through a presentation of how we set it up and what we were actually doing in the school. We were fairly apprehensive about it … but we could’ve floated out of that room. They were just so supportive of it.'
Kerry Boyenga, Classroom and Dhurga Teacher, Broulee Public School, 23/11/05
'We talked about it at [Moruya] Land Council meetings. It hasn’t been agenda items or anything like that but we’ve been talking at the meetings with community people. [In general business time.] … And everyone’s supported it from those meetings. But we’ve also talked to Elders individually, like our Aunt and other people and we’ve got to talk with more Elders of course because you can never reach everyone as we all know and some people still don’t like the idea but you’re not going to get everyone agreeing anyway. … We’ve had community members come in and sit in on lessons. They’ve actually … watched the lessons and heard what we’re teaching. After the main, one big lesson that they all came into, we all met back in the staffroom and talked about what they thought about the program and that sort of thing'
Waine Donovan, Classroom and Dhurga Teacher, Broulee Public School, 23/11/05
'We have an open invitation to anybody that wants to come and look at our language programs, to the lessons to have a look at what we’re doing. And certainly at the Djuwin Women’s Law Council camp at the weekend, and I said to them, and they’re not all necessarily from here, you know, that’s a really big area that they’ve come from, that we have our lessons on Thursdays and Fridays and we’re only happy to have community to come and sit in on our lessons, see what we’re doing.'
Kerry Boyenga, Classroom and Dhurga Teacher, Broulee Public School, 23/11/05
'The Djuwin Women’s Law Council endorsed it fully, they moved a motion. We’re going to be getting a letter of support from them saying they think it’s wonderful.'
Kerry Boyenga, Classroom and Dhurga Teacher, Broulee Public School, 23/11/05