Gerringong Public School, on Dharawal Country, has started a weekly playgroup for Aboriginal toddlers and babies under the guidance of respected elder Aunty Gwenda Jarrett.

The playgroup, Burri Burri (meaning whale), the totem for the Wodi Wodi people of Dharawal Country, operates for children aged zero to five every Thursday morning.

Principal Kristie Goldthorp said Aunty Gwenda, the school’s local Aboriginal Elder and Gerringong Housing Aboriginal Corporation chief executive, started conversations about the playgroup earlier this year.

Ms Goldthorp, who is passionate about Aboriginal education and worked in Arnhem Land for 10 years, supported the playgroup concept as a way of building closer relationships with families that would assist the transition to primary school.

“It’s a place where the families can make new friends, they can promote and learn about culture, be creative and develop those connections to the school,” Ms Goldthorp said.

“It’s so important that families feel comfortable within the school gates, so by the time their children get to kindergarten they feel at home, there’s a nice smooth transition and they’re not scared about starting big school.

“This will be a place where we will support each other, share in the joys and challenges of early childhood, and work together to provide the best possible experience for our children.”

About two dozen of the school’s 389 students are Aboriginal.

“Aunty Gwenda has always been really passionate about early childhood education,” Ms Goldthorp said.

Aunty Gwenda said she would volunteer at the playgroup to help children understand their cultural history and how to connect with country.

“My role is to connect kids with their family groups, teach them their totems, teach them their country, their tribes, connect them, make them proud of who they are, so when they grow up, they will know ‘I’m from Dharawal Country, the Wodi Wodi people is my tribe. Burri Burri, the whale in the water, is our totem’,” Aunty Gwenda said.

“We need to be walking together and teaching them to have respect, to be proud of their culture, so these little babies know who they are and where they’re from, which a lot of adults and people today still don’t know.

“Part of teaching the kids is also teaching the parents and the grandparents or aunties or uncles or whoever brings them.”

Aunty Gwenda said early intervention was important for all children, and especially Aboriginal children.

“We want to try and extend lifespan and Close the Gap,” she said.

“Early infant intervention programs prevent long-term health issues.

“Through screening and collecting evidential data the playgroup can identify the needs and plan for future funding to implement and deliver programs.

“This playgroup is going to help identify many elements to change an Aboriginal First Nations child’s upbringing.”

Aboriginal educators will lead the playgroup and provide cultural programs, including language, dance, culture and music.

Ms Goldthorp said the playgroup’s focus would also be driven by the needs of parents.

“They might have specific questions and so the coordinator might say, ‘okay, let's invite this guest speaker in to talk, for example, about hearing checks,” she said.

Aunty Gwenda said she worked with Noah’s Inclusion Services to secure a playgroup coordinator funded through the NSW Department of Education’s Start Strong Pathways program.

The playgroup will operate from the school’s Gamarada Room, which has been painted by Aboriginal artist Holly Sanders and students. The room is used as an Aboriginal education space, which includes language and cultural lessons.

Gerringong Housing Aboriginal Corporation has contributed to playgroup resources and a breakfast club, which is open to all students.

The school community and special guests were invited to celebrate the playgroup opening on 5 September with an assembly, speeches, flag-raising ceremony, smoking ceremony, ribbon cutting and morning tea.

The playgroup is open to families with Aboriginal children aged zero to five and will operate 9.30am to 10.45am on Thursdays. Snacks and drinks are provided.