Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education team supports each young person at Woodville High School to develop a positive sense of cultural identity; and prepares them to be a confident, independent and lifelong learner, allowing them to achieve at their highest potential.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Education Team
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education team includes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Coordinator, three Aboriginal Education Teachers (AET) and two Aboriginal Secondary Education Transition Officers (ASETO).
Our Aboriginal Education Teachers (AET) have a key role at school making sure that other school staff are supported to design quality learning experiences for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in classrooms at Woodville High School.
The AET’s will work respectfully and collaboratively with our schools ASETO team to help monitor and analyse student achievement and wellbeing. They model high expectations, attitudes and behaviours for every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student. AET’s will engage with the school’s wellbeing team and the Department for Education’s Student Support Services to take a holistic approach to help meet the student learning and wellbeing needs at Woodville High School.
The AET’s role at Woodville High School currently includes the case management of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Each student is met by an AET once per term with the support of the schools ASETOs. During these conversations, each student’s wellbeing, engagement with their learning and attendance is discussed and goals are set for the student to work towards until their next meeting. This information is used to inform students One Plans and to see if any additional wellbeing or learning support is required.
Bronan Economou
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Coordinator
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Education Team
Debbie Markovic
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Support Staff
Casey Brain
Teacher
Mark Mueller
Aboriginal Secondary Education Transition Officer
Malcolm Miller
Aboriginal Secondary Education Transition Officer
Bronan Economou
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Coordinator
What is the Irabinna Centre?
The Student Leadership Team in collaboration with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Team will be developing strategic priorities, services, cultural programs and curriculum for the newly created Irabinna Centre.
This new Centre will house a new Nunga Room, a classroom and an office for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Team. The Irabinna Centre is a student-led culturally safe environment that hosts cultural development activities, is a meeting space for our parents and caregivers as well as being a space for our schools non-ATSI students to learn about the cultures and histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It is a space where students are able to access culturally inclusive support from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander support staff. It is also a culturally safe meeting space to speak with school staff for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community. In this space students are able to track and analyse their own attendance, keep up to date on upcoming training through a variety of providers such as the Work-about Centre and access tutoring through our Homework Centre
Our Future. Our Place. Our Woodville.
Connecting to Culture
Due to the increasing number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students we have finally outgrown our previous culturally safe space within the Nunga Room. With the support of our schools Principal Anna Mirasgentis and the Governing Council we have developed a new and improved space within the school named the Irabinna Centre.
We have decided to name the new space after Distinguished Professor Lester-Irabinna Rigney who is an Old Scholar of the school. Professor Lester-Irabinna Rigney is one of the most influential Indigenous educationalists in Australia and his commitment to lifelong learning embodies our vision for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education at Woodville High School.
The word “Irabinna” is the Kaurna name for warrior and this was agreed on for two key reasons; Firstly, due to its connection to the Kaurna land on which our school is located and secondly, we see the future Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders being developed at Woodville High School as warriors of learning within thriving communities, both now and in their futures.
Homework Centre
We offer a Homework Centre for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners which runs for an hour after school on Tuesday and Thursday from 3:15 pm until 4:15 pm during school term. This runs in the Irabinna Centre and is staffed by both teachers and SSO staff so that the students can access one on one support for their learning.
Family Night
Once a term during the school year the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education team also hosts “Family Night” where the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community is invited for dinner and to speak with the team about any educational or wellbeing matters. This is time for our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Team to get to know our local community of families and to share the progress of their students at school. We also use this to share any information which is pertinent for the upcoming school year as well as upcoming events and activities occurring throughout the school.