Queanbeyan Public School’s Implementation of the Aboriginal Education Policy honours the ‘Together We Are, Together We Can, Together We Will’ mantra by maintaining a collaborative partnership with the local Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG), formalised with the signed Partnership Agreement and through consultation with the local Aboriginal community.
In 2017, Queanbeyan Public School won the Reconciliation Australia Inaugural Narragunnawali Award. This national award was a culmination of continuous commitment and action to promote reconciliation between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
In 2018, a Nanga Mai Award for Outstanding Leadership in Aboriginal Education was presented to Kym Hawes. This award is presented to a NSW Department of Education employee who has demonstrated exemplary leadership and capacity building among staff and the school community and an ongoing commitment to improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal students.
In 2018, Annette Christou received the ‘Elder on the Year’ award at the inaugural Queanbeyan NAIDOC Awards, for sharing her passion for living an active and fit lifestyle with the Queanbeyan Deadly Runners. The Aboriginal students in the QPS Deadly Dancers, performed a dance ‘Connections to Country’ at the awards ceremony.
A Stronger Smarter philosophy is being built and promoted in the school. A current critical group of nine staff are leading Stronger Smarter professional learning for the whole staff (teaching, administration, support).
All students are provided with opportunities to develop deeper understandings of Aboriginal histories, cultures and languages. Each year on 13 February, the school commemorates the significant milestone with a school assembly led by student leaders to reflect on the words of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations, who suffered as a result of past government policies of forced child removal and assimilation.
Each year in Reconciliation Week the school learns more about, and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions, and the progress made in Australia’s reconciliation journey so far to increase respect, reduce racism and strengthen relationships. During NAIDOC Week the strength, diversity, and richness of Aboriginal cultures and Custodianship of Country is respected, valued, promoted and celebrated.
Parents and carers of Aboriginal students join with teaching staff on several occasions during the year to build high expectation relationships, plan and learn together and celebrate student successes.
An ongoing joint early literacy intervention project, partnering with SaCC, addresses the needs of Aboriginal students in Kindergarten. A continuous focus on the importance of leadership opportunities has built an expectation of Aboriginal students being successful leaders in the school.
All Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have an annually reviewed Personalised Learning Pathway document to guide their new steps developed by their teacher in consultation with family. Opportunities to grow in cultural knowledge are provided through SistaSpeak and BroSpeak programs.
The school reviews its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) annually using the Narragunnawali platform and framework of Relationships, Respect and Opportunities in the classroom, around the school and in the community. Narragunnawali supports Queanbeyan Public School to develop an environment that fosters a high level of knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions.