Are you coming to Wardarnji?

 

The Wardarnji Aboriginal Cultural Festival is fast approaching and the PALS team is working together with City of Fremantle to help make this year’s event bigger, brighter and more spectacular than before!

 

The festival takes place where the Derbarl Yerrigan, or Swan River, meets the salt water, in the Noongar area of Walyalup, or Fremantle. Wardarnji showcases local Indigenous arts, craft and cultural demonstrations, displays and performances.

 

You and your family are invited to join in the festivities and congratulate the PALS Awards winners, which will be announced at the start of the festival at 2.00 pm.

 

Where: The Esplanade Reserve, Fremantle

When: Saturday, 14 November 2009

Time: 2.00 pm – 7.30 pm

 

See you there!

 

New to PALS?  To find out more, click here.

 

PALS at Wardarnji

 

The PALS Awards will be announced at 2.00pm on the main stage at the Wardarnji Festival. Winning schools will be given the opportunity to accept their award on stage from our PALS Ambassador, Troy Cook.  Performances from some of our winning schools will be showcased in the Awards ceremony.

 

The PALS marquee will be packed full of activities, including balloons, colouring in, dance workshops, art classes, face painting, an archaeological dig and a treasure hunt.

 

Some fantastic PALS projects will be on display and our partners and supporters will have a strong presence.

 

It’s shaping up to be a fantastic festival so come over to the Fremantle Esplanade and visit us in the PALS marquee!

 

PALS annual survey


The PALS annual survey is almost ready for distribution and will be sent to all our 2009 PALS schools in the coming weeks.

 

The survey is incredibly important to PALS and its funding partners, the Department of Indigenous Affairs and BHP Billiton. It shows us what we’re doing well and not so well, providing vital feedback to improve the program and better assist PALS schools.

 

Last year’s results showed great increases in students’ knowledge of Indigenous culture and heritage. Many students indicated they believed that Indigenous studies should be included in school activities and the majority of teachers reported that PALS assisted a great deal with the Aboriginal Studies curriculum. Students enjoyed their PALS project and felt PALS improved relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students at their school more than in previous years.

 

Testimonials from teachers and students provided in the survey were informative and inspiring.

 

From the students:

 

“Since being involved in PALS, I think more about Indigenous Australians, not just myself.”

Year 4

 

“I think we could improve it by telling stories and learn their language.”

Year 4

 

 “I believe that my understanding and opinions of Indigenous Australians has grown and my eyes are open to the challenges faced in Indigenous communities.”

Year 7

 

“I believe that the PALS project would seem more realistic if we could meet some of the Indigenous children and talk to them face to face.”

Year 7

 

“I have learnt how special Aboriginals are to this land.”

Year 9

 

 “My perception of Indigenous Australians has changed greatly. The stereotypes that the media portrays, such as violence and alcohol, have been eradicated and I now see them as the same as ordinary people with many values such as culture and family.”

Year 10

 

“(My PALS project could be improved) by continuing communication with the community. Even though the school maintains contact, as students, we don't.”

Year 10

 

 “After my experience, I am more open and willing to close the gap between the cultures.”

Year 11

 

From the teachers:

 

 “I found the PALS submission process for grants and the PALS awards process very straightforward, with a lot of support from PALS staff.”

 

“I think teachers are pleased with PALS involvement but with workshops, et cetera, these should be sent out to schools as flyers, as often teachers are too involved to find time to look up websites.”

 

“The program is like many others - you don't actually know what it has on offer until you are involved in it.”

 

“Get schools to put a range of photos on the PALS website showing their students at work on their projects, so others can see it in action.”

 

“I like the sharing of ideas from other schools (on the PALS website), as sometimes that can be a catalyst for developing a program in your own school.”

 

As you can see from these results, the survey provides us with such extensive, important information to help shape the future of the program. We look forward to seeing your responses to this year’s survey!

 

 

PALS funding for 2010 opening soon!

The PALS funding round for 2010 will open in late November this year, so start thinking about your PALS project now!

 

To allow as many schools as possible to access the limited funding amount, we will no longer be able to fund more than one project per school.

 

With this in mind and to keep the process as fair and equitable as possible, all applications from schools will be assessed and funding of up to $750 will be allocated to each successful project application.

 

Applications are more likely to be successful if they are ongoing, whole-of-school and wider community initiatives.  School activities that are not long term projects are likely to attract a lesser amount of funding.

 

The PALS funding round will close on 30 April 2010. For more information, contact the PALS team. 

 

World Diabetes Day

 

World Diabetes Day is the primary global awareness campaign for diabetes, introduced in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organisation in response to the alarming rise in diabetes around the world.

 

Diabetes is Australia’s fastest growing chronic disease, with approximately 275 people across the nation developing the condition every day. In Western Australia alone, there are more than 90,000 people diagnosed with diabetes. For every person diagnosed, it is estimated there is another person who is not diagnosed. It is a serious health condition with no cure. If left undiagnosed or poorly managed it can cause heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, amputation and impotency.

 

World Diabetes Day is celebrated on 14 November with a challenge involving monuments and buildings around the world being lit up in blue. The colour blue reflects the sky that unites all nations and is the colour of the United Nations flag. The blue circle logo signifies the unity of the global diabetes community in response to the diabetes pandemic.

 

To find out more about diabetes and World Diabetes Day, visit the Diabetes WA website.

 

Spotlight on projects

 

Some of our schools have developed long lasting partnerships with Indigenous communities through their PALS immersion projects, creating friendships and ongoing relationships that are life changing.

 

The joint project between CBC Fremantle and Iona Presentation College is a cross-cultural exchange with the Pintubi people of Kiwirrkurra Remote Aboriginal Community. It involves a select number of dedicated students and staff from upper secondary years visiting the community. Friendship, bonding and cultural exchange are some of the riches that the students, teachers and Pintubi people will share and gain from each other.

 

Through the interaction between all students during the construction of shade houses, classroom mentoring and other interactive activities, the project provided an opportunity for a cultural language exchange as well as the opportunity to speak with confidence and pride about each other’s culture.

 

“Our project can be said to be a time of listening, learning, sharing, awareness, understanding, appreciation and connectedness,” said Director of Catholic Leadership, Peter Baldry. “We have now been going to the Kiwirrkurra community for six years and will continue to do so. We are in continual contact with the community. Our relationship is strong and well respected by the Elders.”

 

Newman College in Churchlands has very few Indigenous pupils at the college. In fact, very few students at the school get the opportunity to meet Indigenous people. The students are keen to close the gap but were unsure how to effectively do so.

 

A group of nine Year 11 students from the college were selected to participate in a Kimberley immersion trip in September. The trip enabled the group to re-assess their position in their own communities, develop a much greater cultural awareness and gain knowledge of an alternative culture, meet new people, explore vocation, take on new responsibilities and acquire coping strategies.

 

“We hope to work some way towards Reconciliation and build on the already good dialogue we have with Sacred Heart School in Beagle Bay,” said teacher Josephine Hutcheson.

 

For students at Santa Maria College, an appreciation and understanding of different cultures, particularly our Indigenous culture, is an integral part of their education. The college has visited Rawa Community School in the Pilbara since 2007, forming a partnership that has enabled the Santa Maria students to learn more about Indigenous culture in general and the Rawa School and Punmu Community in particular.

 

Twelve Year 11 students and three staff visited Rawa earlier this year. The students were challenged and enthused by the stories, experiences and relationships they encountered. The visit further cemented the relationship between the two schools and broadened the very positive influence this program has on all members of the Santa Maria College community.

 

The partnership has extended beyond the visits to Punmu Community, as the Rawa School made a one-day visit to Santa Maria College at the end of 2008 during their school camp in Perth.

 

“The program has and will continue to involve other students at the college,” said Deputy Principal Helen Chaffer. “Activities organised during Reconciliation and NAIDOC weeks are linked to the program as a means of raising awareness. Students directly involved in the program make presentations to the wider school community via newsletters and college assemblies. Santa Maria College is honoured to be part of this very worthwhile partnership.”

 

The relationship with Rawa Community School at Punmu has not only allowed students directly involved in the program, to develop an understanding and appreciation of Indigenous culture, but the follow up work undertaken by these students provides greater awareness for all students at the college.

 

Resource Centre

Advocare is an independent advocacy agency which advocates and protects the rights and best interests of people living in aged care facilities, people receiving community care services and older people experiencing or at risk of mistreatment by family or friends.  Advocare recognises that it can be more difficult for people to assert and protect their own rights if they are dependent on others to have their daily needs met.

 

Advocare also has an Aboriginal Advocacy Program. This program supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders to access aged care services, provides support with complaints processes and reinforces the importance of respect for older people.

 

The project team travels to remote areas to listen to people in order to develop information resources in a culturally specific manner. The project ensures Aboriginal people over the age of 50 in rural and remote Western Australia are better informed about their rights and responsibilities regarding home and community services and residential aged care. The advocates also provide information and advocacy for any older people experiencing mistreatment.

 

About one in 25 people over the age of 65 experience abuse or mistreatment by someone they trust.

 

Advocare will be working with PALS in the new year to promote the rights of older people and encourage young people to take a stand against abuse of our respected Elders and older persons.

 

To find out more, visit the Advocare website or contact them on 9479 7566. Country callers can also contact Advocare on 1800 655 566. Advocare is a free service.  


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