Bridging Now to Next at Treetops Preschool: A Journey of Reconciliation Through Ephemeral Art and Nature At Treetops Preschool, we believe that reconciliation is woven through the connections we nurture between children, families, and the Country we call home.

This year, inspired by the theme 'Bridging now to next, we embarked on a project that symbolized unity, respect for nature, and the strength of community through ephemeral art—an ever-changing expression of connection and understanding. We invited families to bring in natural items-leaves, flowers, bark, seeds— sourced from their gardens or local areas.

These gifts from Country carried personal significance, representing the diverse places and stories within our preschool community. Over the week, each group of children worked together to thoughtfully arrange these elements into a collective mandala—a living, temporary artwork that bridged the contributions of individuals into a shared expression of harmony.

At Gorokan Preschool we explored this year's National Reconciliation Week Theme: "Bridging now to next" by engaging in a whole preschool challenge of creating bridges. Children, families and educators all joined in creating bridges out of a variety of resources and materials both at preschool and at home. Educators and families supported discussions around what reconciliation means, and this year's theme.

We looked at past events including the 1967 Referendum, when the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags were first recognised, Corroboree 2000 and Sydney Harbour Bridge walk, and many other events.

We also discussed things that we do at preschool to learn about and show respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture such as our Acknowledgement of Country, flying all three flags, embedding local Darkinyung language into our daily conversation, and through lots of different learning experiences each and every day.

Wallaroo Primary School National Reconciliation Week Community Day We hosted a vibrant community day to celebrate National Reconciliation Week, inviting local groups, families, and community members to join in “Bridging Now to Next” themed activities.

Students enjoyed a “book nook” filled with First Nations texts exploring culture and history, a crafting table to create Australian birds, and two sensory tables—one with playdough for creating First Nations symbols, and another filled with native plants, sand, stones, leaf-rubbing paper, and two hidden toy lizards to connect with Country.

An area for loose parts and recycling materials encouraged learners to build sustainable shelters, while student work and information displays lined the gym for families to explore.

We also created a Yarning Circle with prompt cards to spark meaningful conversations, alongside our Reconciliation Action Plan, inviting everyone—students, staff, and community—to contribute their voices.