Sue Caldicott, Director of Stirling District Kindergarten

We checked in with Sue Caldicott, Director of Stirling District Kindergarten, Narragunnawali Awards 2023 Early Learning Service category winner. 
 
Could you share some insights about your personal journey and experiences that led you to the reconciliation commitments you’ve made together with the Stirling District Kindergarten (SDK) community?

My journey as an educator, deeply engaged with cultural learning and reconciliation, began in the 80s. It was sparked by a story my director shared with our preschool group about the invasion of Australia. As a newly graduated teacher, this experience prompted me to reflect on the lessons we impart to four-year-olds. Since then, I’ve committed to truth-telling in all discussions about Australian history with children. 

Over the years, I’ve sought professional learning opportunities through our Department of Education, although they were scarce in the early years. I’ve read books by Aboriginal authors, watched NITV and actively listened whenever I had the chance to interact with Aboriginal kindy families and community members. Resources, training and webinars from Reconciliation SA, Narragunnawali and Be You have been invaluable. 

During a two-year tenure as a STEM project officer, I found myself delving deeper into Aboriginal perspectives in science, engineering and technology that we could be respectfully introduce to children. As someone who requires daily contact with nature for my well-being, I reflect on the environmental damage caused over the past 250 years due to colonial ignorance and disrespect. 

As the years go by, I find my stance becoming more political. I feel increasing frustration and disgust towards those in power who perpetuate inequality, inequity and racism. I consider myself fortunate to be part of an educator team at SDK where respect, kindness, social justice and a willingness to grow form the core of our teaching philosophy. 
 

Could you tell us a little about the SDK’s vision for reconciliation? What are the key principles guiding this vision; whose voices, perspectives, and aspirations informed it; and how do you see it evolving in the future? 

Approximately five years ago, through my relationship with Jason Tyndall, now CEO of Nature Play SA, we met with a local Kaurna Elder. Initially, we envisioned engaging in opportunities to respectfully walk on and learn about Country with him at Bush Kindy. We had a team meeting with Uncle about the mutual expectations of our engagement, and this was the beginning of the reconciliation journey for SDK. We discussed our individual experiences with culture and made a commitment to be open to learning from each other. My aim in engaging members of the community is for children and parents to build positive relationships and learn through play and through organic interactions. We believe in authentic voice and truth-telling. We learned from Uncle and other sources and the more the team learned, the more we wished to know and to act for positive changes. Our guiding principle is respect, a core kindy value at our site. When Uncle spoke of the importance of respect in cultural practices, this resonated with us and has continued to underpin our journey. 

Our parents are very supportive and keen to learn more, especially about Kaurna language. Along the way, we have facilitated parent information sessions including about cultural practices such as smoking ceremonies and welcomes and with permission, have provided a Kaurna language dictionary to parents of the words we use regularly with the children. The parent governing council agreed to raise our termly fees so that we can sustain engagement with community representatives. I have also included significant cultural sites in our excursion itinerary, such as Colebrook Reconciliation Park. Learning about the Stolen Generations is something we all need to know to understand our nation’s shared history. We are committed to ensuring our environment is welcoming to all Aboriginal families and our flags, signage, art and resources now reflect an inclusive community. 

We now have our fourth Narragunnawali RAP review and refresh process completed in consultation with local Aboriginal organisations and our parent group. Through storytelling and embracing curiosity in culture and each other, being enthusiastic towards our differences, and celebrating our shared connections, we are creating space for a diverse range of voices to be actively listened to and for new experiences to be brought to the learning of our young people. As a group, we made a commitment to provide opportunities and resources for families and the wider community to embark on the learning journey alongside the children. Our core value continues to be respect, or Tampinthi in Kaurna language. Over the years, our RAP increasingly adds actions and associated deliverables to share our learning beyond the kindy gates, and our next step is a site-wide anti-racism policy. We believe that children are citizens who matter and can drive change. They can develop an understanding of the reciprocal rights and responsibilities necessary for active community participation. Children can respond to diversity with respect. Our aspiration is for a culturally safe kindergarten with positive, respectful relationships with community and informed young children who will be advocates for fairness and be positive policymakers of the future. 

 

Sue Caldicott, Sally-Ann Montelone, and Emma Bruce recieve the
Narragunnawali Awards 2023 Early Learning Service category plaque and trophy. Image Credit Tom Hoy, Wirrim Media

The Narragunnawali Awards 2023 judging panel appreciated the emphasis on connection to Country within SDK’s approach to reconciliation, particularly through the Bush Kindy program. Can you tell us about the general activities and programs you have implemented to strengthen this connection among children, families and staff? Could you share a little about the Bush Kindy program and its unique impact on the children and community?

One of our favorite aspects of Bush Kindy is walking on Country with community representatives, learning about bush tucker and medicine plants, the tracks and signs of animals, weather signs, changes in seasons and learning to weave or to build wardli (shelter). We hear children teaching their parents and other educators what they have learned, keeping language and lore alive. We learn the Kaurna names of birds and animals. We learn Tampinthi for the land and we don’t pick or damage plants. Cultural learning adds a deeper layer to children’s respect for the environment, land care and sustainability. Being on Country increases well-being for all our children. We link our acknowledgement of Kaurna Country to mindfulness on Country. Storytelling and dance have more meaning when they happen on Country, and the sound of the yidaki (didgeridoo) combining with the sounds, sights and smells of the bush is a magical experience. We teach stewardship by planting habitat in our Bush Kindy sites in Belair National Park. We are currently pursuing connection with our local Firesticks group to learn about fire farming.

SDK’s engagement with Kaurna Elders has been praised by our awards judges. Can you tell us a little bit about your relationship-building processes with the community? What have you learned and achieved through committing to mutually respectful relationship-building? For example, how has the Elders involvement in the life of SDK enriched the learning experience for the children and what are some memorable lessons or activities they have led? 

When building relationships, it is important to listen deeply and respond with respect. We learnt from Uncle that what we do at kindy as a result of our engagement with him, reflects back on him in his community. Every person and family have their own story. Some families may not disclose their cultural background until they feel safe. Some families may not want us speaking about traumatic events such as child removal with their children. Some families do not know their family history, such as their language group or who their grandparents are. We now listen to many voices and work with many community representatives as well as families. It is important to listen, to acknowledge diversity and to be responsive to the needs and aspirations of individual members of the community. We did not play Gurrumul’s music when Uncle visited, out of respect for his relationship with the musician’s family. Our girls don’t play the yidaki but play the wirridla (clappingsticks) a particular way that boys don’t. We always remunerate promptly when engaging with people’s livelihoods. We always check first before teaching about or engaging in cultural practices, such as the use of ochre, symbols or retelling Dreaming stories, but are also conscious not to overload Aboriginal families with expectations to share. Being on Kaurna Native Title Land means we have a Kaurna focus in our teaching and learning, and we try to employ Kaurna representatives and artists, but this is not exclusive. Learning Kaurna language is now embedded in our literacy learning, with permission from the Kaurna-speaking community. Music and dance are also richer and smoking ceremonies have become a special part of our celebrations. We work alongside local Aunties and extend our relationships and networks to provide a balance of male and female cultural perspectives that help children learn about key concepts, events and actions such as reconciliation, Sorry Day, Stolen Generations, racism.

The commitment of SDK’s team of educators to ongoing learning and advocating for reconciliation has been highlighted. What professional development initiatives have been most impactful and how do you encourage other schools to engage more deeply in reconciliation? 

It is our responsibility as educators to be lifelong learners and to go out of our comfort zones, just as we ask children to do every day. It is also our responsibility to address and challenge racist, sexist, ageist, genderist and other biases, stereotypes and injustices. It is not up to Aboriginal people to fix the endemic problems we presently have as a nation. KWY Aboriginal Corporation helped the team learn more about past and contemporary policies that impact Aboriginal families and Closing the Gap target 3 'Children are engaged in high quality, culturally appropriate early childhood education in their early years,’ and target 4 'Children thrive in their early years’ tie in so much with our work yet to be achieved. We have used versions of our 2022 ECA National Conference presentation to inform our new parents every semester and to present to our Department for Education portfolio leaders and educators, and preservice teachers from an independent college. We have taken our local high school students to Colebrook Reconciliation Park to learn about the Stolen Generations alongside our preschool children with the support of the Blackwood Reconciliation Group. Our Narragunnawali Awards 2023 prize money has subsidised a Kaurna Language workshop that we organised with Jack Buckskin, a day tour of cultural learning for a busload of educators supported by Dave Booth (Peramangk representative), Southern Elders Weaving Group and the Blackwood Reconciliation Group. We have plans for more professional learning days in the future as our RAP has committed to share beyond our site. We intentionally engage our children in thinking about big ideas. Through respectfully discussing layers found in Dreaming stories, ‘reconciliation’ talks when they have conflicts with friends and when we engage in stories and dialogue about fairness, our children are gaining a deeper understanding and new perspectives that help them connect with the concepts of reconciliation. 

Our evidence shows that our preschool children educate their families and school peers moving forward. We can all have a voice and we can all get involved in social justice campaigns. We can all be advocates for change and reconciliation. The annual Blackwood Sorry Day Reconciliation Walk is just one event I support. Showing up and supporting local Aboriginal Community events and local Aboriginal businesses, artists, musicians and authors helps spread the message that we are serious about connecting. This is something we all can and must do.