Narara Valley High School is committed to improving the educational outcomes for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. We have 2 Aboriginal Education Workers here to assist our students with engaging in their school work to the best of their ability, assistance with their class work, assessment tasks and ensuring the overall wellbeing of our students.
So many of our Indigenous students have been successful in obtaining school-based traineeships (SBat) and are completing these whilst studying for their HSC.
Many of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have been disconnected from their culture and here at Narara Valley High School we provide that link and give students the opportunity to attend weekly cultural activities. Some of the activities that students can be involved in is dance, didge (for our boys), painting & listening to dreamtime stories, this program is to provide cultural awareness and appreciation.
Students are also invited on excursions to Bangarra Dance Theatre and Naisda Dance College (Kariong), University of Newcastle (Ourimbah Campus), University of NSW. Representatives from Macquarie University, NSW University and Newcastle University visit our school to inform the senior student’s what courses are available and alternative pathways into university and assist them with the enrolment process. Students have also had the opportunity to be involved in programs that are co-ordinated by the PCYC, as well as the opportunity to attend Junior Leadership camps. We also have strong ties to our health services on the coast which include Eleanor Duncan Health Services who offer a full range of health services for Aboriginal families and Bungree Aboriginal Association.
Narara Valley High School also has a very strong relationship with our local AECG (Cooinda).
Cooinda invites all parents, caregivers and community members to attend these Bi-Monthly meetings which are held at Henry Kendall High School on a Monday afternoon to have a say in the decision making process of education in the local schools.
At Narara Valley High School, we welcome Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family members, parents and community members to our school so that we can get to know each other, learn about the local Aboriginal community and develop shared goals and plans for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
