Yarrabilba State School is making an effort to celebrate First Nations culture, expanding NAIDOC Week activities to a full week, with opportunities for all students to be involved.
Yarrabilba State School head of student engagement Sarah Hamilton said she had wanted to put an emphasis on highlighting First Nations culture when she arrived at the school three years ago.
With 7% of Yarrabilba’s population identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, Ms Hamilton said she wanted to celebrate what is means to be a First Nations person at Yarrabilba State School.
“When I started it was a day, now it’s a whole week,” Ms Hamilton said.
NAIDOC Week celebrates and recognises the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This year’s theme is 50 Years of Deadly.
NAIDOC Week runs during the school holidays from 5-12 July, so Yarabilba students celebrated NAIDOC Week in the last week of Term 2.
Events were held every day with every year level having the opportunity to engage.
On Monday, an opening ceremony was held along with show and tell for Year 4 students.
Tuesday saw Year 5 and Year 6 students create a collaborative artwork that will be displayed at the school.
The closing ceremony was held on Thursday with awards being presented to First Nations students in a range of categories.
On Friday, prep students engaged in a show and tell with Yarrabilba State School community education counsellor Kane Willis.
Ms Hamilton said it was a school’s choice to employ a community education counsellor, with Mr Willis at Yarrabilba State School two days a week.
Mr Willis recently won South East Region community education counsellor of the Year at the South East Region NAIDOC Awards.
His work involves educating students about First Nations culture, knowledge and traditions.
Ms Hamilton said he also helped ensure the curriculum was delivered correctly across the school and he helped at the school’s breakfast club.
Yarrabilba State School also celebrated Reconciliation Week recently and the school regularly hosts events supporting First Nations students, such as having an Indigenous dental van on site and Deadly Choice visiting the school on Fridays.
KARI also gives backpacks with school supplies to First Nations students transitioning from kindergarten to prep and Year 6 to Year 7.
And in 2025, Mununjali Elder Uncle Derek Fogarty created an artwork for the school, which is featured on staff shirts jerseys.
Ms Hamilton said she hoped activities such as these encouraged students to be proud of being a First Nations person.
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