Brentwood Preschool’s vision for a reconciled Australia is to see the reuniting of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and Non-Indigenous Australians and are committed to promoting respectful and genuine two-way relationships of shared significance. Reconciliation is an ongoing journey that reminds us that while generations of Australians have fought hard for meaningful change, future gains are likely to take just as much, if not more, effort. We understand that everyone has different relationships and experiences and aim to build on our educators, families and children’s individual strengths to grow, learn and connect, together as one.
We envision a future where we acknowledge our shared troubled history and work as one to bring together and unite our cultures; where racism, judgements and assumptions are removed and replaced with active listening, asking meaningful questions and curiosity to learn from each other; where equality, equity and justice are actively valued, fostering equal and equitable access to education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.
Our program develops the interconnectedness of life on our planet by being immersed in the environment and develops the children’s appreciation for our First Nations people of the Bunurong land upon which we live, play and learn. The education of the children is our central focus, and we aim to be inclusive and embed Australia’s First Peoples’ perspectives to guide the development of our programs.
As a connected team we want our Preschool to feel culturally safe for people from all walks of life. We want to provide programs that teach through culture. We want our educators to continue to learn and build on the knowledge they already have and the programs they already implement. We want to learn about the sacredness of the Land upon which we teach and pass this knowledge onto our children who then pass this on to their families. We hold hope that, by doing this, a ripple effect will result whereby, as children grow and go through school and enter the workforce as adults, they become tolerant members of society who value and respect both our shared and diverse cultures and histories and pass on the knowledge and respect that they have developed to the generations after them.
