Sarah Herrmann, Yorke Peninsula Country Times
Kadina Memorial School created its biggest whole-school artwork yet as part of National Reconciliation Week, held May 27 to June 3.
More than 1400 students’ and staff members’ handprints went into creating a rainbow eucalyptus tree on a large canvas.
Year 10 Yidinjdi and Agwamin (northern Queensland) student Tearne Angove painted the tree’s trunk.
The school’s Aboriginal community education officers Leanne Toogood and Nigel Raymond coordinated the project, with the help of art teacher Karen George.
Ms Toogood said the piece was made up of multiple boards, with sections completed one class at a time, starting with the primary school’s pink and burgundy handprints, followed by the middle and senior schools, and finishing with staff.
“We had most of the canvas covered up, so it was just that section for the class, so kids were standing there looking at it like ‘that’s pretty underwhelming’,” Ms Toogood said.
“It looked quite bleak when it was just a few little handprints… but once we got a third of the primary school on there you could see it start to take shape.”
They went as far as to print off class lists so no students missed out, and many were impressed when they could finally stand back and see how the piece had come together, Ms Toogood said.
Mr Raymond said the painting was the school’s 12th annual NRW artwork, which have evolved in complexity over the years from mosaics to decorated fences and banners, but always maintaining a theme of inclusivity.
“The idea for the whole-school project is every single student and staff member has something to do with it so that’s what Reconciliation Week is about,” he said.
Also as part of NRW, KMS ran guernsey and flag design competitions, which were won by year 11 Arabana (northern South Australia) student Lacey Faulkner and year 8 student Ruby Gardner respectively.
This article appeared in Yorke Peninsula Country Times, 6 June 2024.
