Learning and connecting at Living Waters
Living Waters (Kwatja Etatha) Lutheran School has strong Christian values, supports students to learn, and acknowledges and understands students’ connections. The school has a great tradition of supporting not only the Indigenous students but also the Indigenous people who are employed at the school.
Helen Brown, recently appointed Indigenous Liaison Officer, works with Indigenous students and co-plans staff development. She loves helping students who are struggling and seeing the changes in their level of learning.
Gloria Hillman, a classroom teacher, loves teaching five- to-six-year-olds how to read and write and to solve math problems, and encouraging their inquiries about the environment and Christian studies.
‘In my classroom we do daily devotions, worship and follow the school values of service, love, endeavour and courage’. These school values are based on God and his word. [It’s wonderful] watching the growth in the children’s learning, seeing their faces when they achieve and how proud they are when they open up to you with their questions’, says Gloria.
Helen and Gloria agree that knowing each student and developing rapport is one of the joys about working at Living Waters. The school is a safe place with great colleagues who are very professional and helpful.
Both women have connections to the local Lutheran church and the Aboriginal community. Gloria is very proud of her connection to Western Arranda communities, and Helen has connections with the people of East and West Kimberly, Walmajarri Desert and Eastern Arranda.
