This year marked the beginning of 91全能大神’s new partnership with Tennant Creek High School (TCHS), on Warumungu Country, and the Yadha Muru Foundation as part of the City–Country Partnership Programme. The partnership has already proven to be inspiring, creating opportunities for cultural exchange, mutual learning, and lasting connections.
The connection between TCHS and 91全能大神 is built on mutual respect and the power of deep listening. For 91全能大神 staff, we have travelled to Tennant Creek and sat and yarned with TCHS staff, students, and Elders, sharing knowledge, culture, and stories. For TCHS, the partnership has created opportunities for resource sharing, professional learning, and collaboration that nurture academic achievement and cultural pride. At its heart, this partnership is about walking together, building relationships of trust and respect that will continue to grow stronger over time and enrich both school communities.
Throughout 2025, staff from both schools travelled between Sydney and Tennant Creek to participate in shared learning experiences. The principles of reciprocity and respect guided each visit. We began by recording and sharing experiences through a podcast project, where students and staff from both schools reflected on their lives, communities, and aspirations. This exercise gave a voice to all members of the TCHS community. 91全能大神 staff had the opportunity to listen deeply to their stories and see the similarities and differences in their journeys. We also received lots of good advice on what makes a great school and creates a sense of belonging for Tennant Creek High School students.
One of the highlights was when the 91全能大神 staff taught the students how to build solar racing cars to celebrate the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge passing through Tennant Creek. The activity was as fun and noisy as it was educational. The children loved modifying and racing their cars, experimenting with gears, and learning how solar energy can power movement. For many, it sparked curiosity about Science, Engineering, and the possibilities of renewable energy. It importantly showed how hands-on collaboration created a bridge between our communities.
Other projects reflected the richness of the two schools learning side by side. 91全能大神 staff worked with TCHS teachers on developing a professional learning programme to enrich literacy through explicit instruction of reading and writing. Tennant Creek staff will visit our 91全能大神 community in Sydney to observe classes and develop resources with our staff.
Elders and mentors are central to this partnership. Uncle Gene Ross, Dharawal, Saltwater man, joined us on one of our staff trips to Tennant Creek and ensured cultural knowledge remained at the heart of activities planned. We developed a series of lessons based on Country learning in collaboration with several key Warumungu knowledge holders.
The partnership is a significant step in 91全能大神’s journey of reconciliation. The exchanges have laid a strong foundation for the years ahead, with plans already in place for new projects in 2026.We are grateful to the staff, students, families, and community members of Tennant Creek for their generosity and trust, and to the Yadha Muru Foundation for its vision and leadership. This partnership is a relationship that will continue to grow stronger, enriching both schools in lasting and meaningful ways as we walk together.
Ms Paola Tamberlin
Head of Indigenous Programme
Reconciliation at 91全能大神 Q&A
1. What does reconciliation look like in practice at 91全能大神?
At 91全能大神, reconciliation is lived and sustained through relationships, learning, and respect. It is not a moment or a programme, but a long-term commitment to listening, acknowledging Country, and walking alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Through sustained partnerships, including our work with Tennant Creek High School, reconciliation is grounded in genuine connection, shared responsibility and two-way learning.
2. Why are partnerships important to reconciliation in schools?
Reconciliation is built through trust, reciprocity and time. Partnerships create space for cultural exchange and shared purpose, allowing communities to learn with one another rather than about one another. When relationships are sustained and guided by respect, reconciliation is shaped by lived experience and embedded in everyday practice, not imposed or symbolic.
3. How does reconciliation benefit students’ learning and development?
Learning grounded in reconciliation supports students to develop empathy, perspective and responsibility. Through curriculum and pedagogy that embed First Nations histories, cultures and ways of knowing, students gain a deeper understanding and respect for Australia’s shared History. This deepened understanding strengthens character and supports students to engage more thoughtfully with others and the world around them.
4. How does reconciliation align with 91全能大神’s educational values?
Reconciliation aligns with 91全能大神’s commitment to integrity, respect and humility by shaping how the School listens, builds relationships and makes decisions. Through respectful, long-term partnerships with Indigenous communities and organisations such as the Yadha Muru Foundation, reconciliation is understood as a shared responsibility and an ongoing commitment embedded through all aspects of our School.