At Brighton Secondary School, we are committed to embedding Indigenous perspectives into teaching and learning and our school community, and are actively working towards reconciliation. This year, we will be formalising that commitment through a Reconciliation Action Plan. A RAP is an active document that outlines our commitment to reconciliation, including how our school will strengthen relationships, respect and opportunities in the classroom, around the school and within the community.
To begin this process, we are establishing a RAP working group, consisting of school staff, parents, students and community members. We will reflect on current practices to help us create a vision for reconciliation at BSS, including identifying actions and deliverables that we will commit to. The RAP is shared with the school community, and is updated annually as we work towards our actions.
Developing a RAP is an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the work we are already doing towards reconciliation. Some of this includes:
- Using Kaurna language for new buildings. Did you know our Middle School building, Tarni Warra, means “sound of the waves”?
- Naming our school houses using Kaurna words for native flora, fauna and landforms. You can read more about our school houses here: https://www.brightonss.sa.edu.au/our-school-houses/
- Visually demonstrating respect by including Aboriginal artwork, developed by our Aboriginal learners, on our PE uniform
- Celebrating National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC Week at school
- Acknowledging Country regularly – all of our staff members have a personalised Acknowledgement of Country to use at the start of meetings or display in their work spaces and classrooms
- Displaying the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags
- Our Aboriginal Education space – a safe and inclusive space for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to work with our Aboriginal Education Team
We look forward to continuing this important work, formalizing it as part of the Reconciliation Action Plan process and sharing our progress with you.
You can read more about the RAP process here:
Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Education: https://www.narragunnawali.org.au
