Gawura

Years K-6

Academic curriculum

Gawura teaches a focused, dedicated literacy and numeracy programme in a culturally enriching environment. Students learn about culture and share with each other, which builds self-esteem, confidence and resilience in each child.

You may be interested in more about curriculum at Gawura

Homework Club K-6

Homework Club is available for our Year 3-6 students and can be booked through Clipboard, which parents access through the Parent Portal. Instructions for using Clipboard and booking Junior School and Gawura co-curricular activities, including Homework Club, can be found here.

Although there is a $90 cost per term, our Gawura students and their families are able to receive this for free. Homework Club operates two days per week, however, only Year 5-6 students can book both days. Year 3-4 can book one day per week.

Bookings are made during a period of five days, towards the end of the previous term, and parents are emailed to advise when bookings open and close. We ask that you book early to ensure your child’s place in the group.

If you need assistance in completing the booking form, please email: jscocurricular@sacs.nsw.edu.au

Gawura Parent Advisory Committee (GPAC)

The Gawura Parent Advisory Committee (GPAC) meets twice a term every term on Thursdays of Week 2 and Week 8 from 2-3pm in the School Community Hub on Level 4.

This is an opportunity for parents to come in and meet other parents of the Gawura school community and hear about the latest activities happening in Gawura. Our Gawura parents also offer suggestions and we have used recommended contacts from our parent body to help with school events such as NAIDOC Week, Reconciliation Week and Indigenous cultural excursions. This is a wonderful harmonious partnership between Gawura and the Gawura Parent Community, which ultimately maximises the opportunities for our Indigenous students.

Yarning Session With Parents

This occurs once a term on the Tuesday of Week 5. This is an opportunity for Gawura parents and family members to meet off site and yarn over a coffee and morning tea. This is distinctly different from GPAC. We have Aboriginal Guest Speakers present to the group or run workshops such as bracelet making or basket weaving. We also have Aboriginal Elders lead the group on walking tours of Clark Island in Sydney Harbour and La Perouse. Off-site meetings usually take place in Redfern between 10.30am and 12.30pm.

Family support and advice

Aunty Sharon Minniecon is our Gawura School Liaison and Community Engagement contact. Aunty Sharon can help with advice and financial support through her contacts at Anglicare, who can arrange for discounts to utilities such as electricity and gas and grocery vouchers for supermarkets.

How Gawura is funded

The operating costs of Gawura are substantial, in part because of our very small class sizes. We are also proud to offer students everything they need to succeed at school and to participate fully in the life of Gawura and St Andrew’s Cathedral School.

The support of our generous donors means that we can take students on their annual On Country tour, and also on a cultural excursion each term.

Donors pay for things like uniforms, emergency lunches, support the running of the bus and pay for our annual NAIDOC Assembly. Donors also support our students by paying for occupational and speech therapy when needed and any additional assistance that secondary students need.

Our generous donors and supporters provide students with careers advice and help, opportunities to attend special events and tickets to cultural activities.

Without the support of every volunteer, organisation and donor, Gawura would not operate.

Volunteers

Gawura is very fortunate to have many volunteers. Most serve with the Volunteer Reading Programme held each morning in the classroom before school. Volunteers come from all walks of life. Some are current parents of Gawura, Junior School, Middle School and Senior College. Some are retired teachers who still like to give back to the community. Many work for our corporate sponsors and donors, who encourage their employees to volunteer their time to help our community.

All volunteers must have a Working With Children’s Check (WWCC) and complete a St Andrew’s Cathedral School Staff Induction, which informs them about our school’s policies and procedures.

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