Goodstart Mentone

Our vision for reconciliation is to acknowledge and respect the Boonwurrung Land, culture and people as the Traditional Owners of the Land on which we live, learn, play and teach. We strive to respect the people, The Land and waterways and skies. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia, and we will respectfully embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into our program and practices.      

We constantly reflect on ways in which we can improve this practice with deeper consideration and understanding of First Nations people's perspectives. As educators actively working towards reconciliation, we learn and educate to be able to encourage unity between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders peoples and the wider Australian communities by promoting equality and equity and historical acceptance of our shared histories. We will engage in professional development programs to deepen our knowledge and understanding of these perspectives to inform practice and teaching.      

Through reconciliation we strengthen the relationships between the local community and local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.  By making this commitment Goodstart Early Learning Mentone will commit to enrich the lives of staff, children, families, volunteers and the wider community through a deeper understanding and connection to First Nations peoples and perspectives.      

We will provide opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to input and contribute to our programs. We understand that the land, waterways and the skies represent their home and their cultures, and ultimately ours too. We aim to build connections between staff, children and the Land on which we learn - to gain an understanding of the unique offerings of Country, including the beautiful native wildlife and plant life of Boonwurrung Land and how this can be reflected in our educational programs.