SNAICC has developed a set of new and innovative Welcome to School Kits as part of our focus on supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and their families to transition from playgroups and childcare to primary school. The kits include learning resources and cultural awareness activities for class groups – for teachers, students and parents – to promote inclusiveness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures in the classroom.
The Helen MacPherson Smith Trust, Foundation of Graduates in Early Childhood Studies, and the Besen Foundation have generously funded a pilot project of 6000 Welcome to School Kits. These are being distributed to targeted schools in Victoria and New South Wales. Primary schools with a high proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students were selected using Australian Early Development Census data. This will ensure that the kits are trialled with children who will benefit from them the most. It is envisioned that they will be distributed nationally if the pilot is successful and on a cost basis.
Cultural resources and inspiration for the classroom are provided in activity books, and are linked to SNAICC’s websites including the Supporting Carers website. The kit also links to the Little J & Big Cuz free animated television series and website with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories, cultural learning activities and teacher resources. Little J & Big Cuz was developed by the Australian Council of Educational Research in partnership with SNAICC, SBS, and NITV, and is linked to the Early Years Learning Framework. Our partner The Indigenous Literacy Foundation has also provided support and resources for teachers about how they can support schools with reading activities.
If your school would like to purchase classroom sets for use, mainly during the transition period of Term 1, costs and purchasing will be available under the Resources section of the SNAICC website in February 2018. For other resource inquiries please contact the SNAICC office on (03) 9489 8099.
