Uncle Perry and programs
Uncle Perry is a proud Kamilaroi man. His mothers’ country is Coonabarabran. He is our Aboriginal Education Officer at Kotara School.
Uncle Perry brings a wealth of knowledge to the Kotara School educating both staff and students on many different facets of Aboriginal life and culture. His role involves teaching aboriginal art, yidaki (didgeridoo) playing with both students and staff and storytelling which provides insight and understanding of the dream time stories of the oldest living culture in the world.
Uncle Perry also teaches dot painting to students. Through this he explains the meaning of various symbols which aboriginal people use to communicate. This encompasses the significance of using different colours on paintings which identify males and females (strong colours for males and pastels for females). Colours also identify different countries (desert, ocean, mountains).
At Kotara School we are lucky to have a Bush Tucker Garden for which Uncle Perry introduces the students to. This provides the students with an understanding and appreciation of land and how we must respect what we have. Uncle Perry allows students to explore the bush tucker garden by providing directed learning activities specific to the knowledge he shares about the animals, plants, bush tucker and how Aboriginal people respect and care for the land.