Reconciliation Action Committee and Our New Pillars

Last year our Reconciliation Action Committee students worked with met with Karen Isaacs (Aboriginal Education Advisor – Oakhill College) to get advice on how to move forward with their Reconciliation Action Plan and make connections with First Nations Community members. During their meeting they discovered a strong tie between Fort Street High Schools values and Aboriginal values. The students were able to find similarities across the values finding that both values emphasize the importance of:

• knowledge and learning,
• creativity and innovation,
• Integrity and accountability,
• wellbeing and holistic development and
• respect and inclusivity and community responsibility.

The students used these values as the 5 Pillars of the Fort Street Action Plan. In keeping with the First Nation tradition of expressing ideas through symbols, it was decided that Reconciliation Action Plan would be captured in visual form of a mural. This mural was created by students in collaboration with Philip Orcher,  a local contemporary Aboriginal artist from Goodooga Central West NSW. The murals were designed using the 5 House colours of Fort Street to further intertwine them with our school.

The new murals are now finished and have been added to the 5 pillars at the front of Fort Street High School, creating a colourful and welcoming entrance to the school that reflects not only our House groups, but also our Fortian Values and their alignment with Aboriginal values.