Over several days in the second last week of Term Three, students from Foundation to Year 10 journeyed to Shepparton to participate in ASHEfest – a three-day festival of traditional Indigenous games, arts and crafts, run by the students of ASHE for schools in the Great Shepparton area.

Students from Foundation through to Year 6 were involved in ‘ASHEletics’, while students in Years 7-10 competed against other schools in Buroinjin – a running and passing ball game originally played by the Kabi Kabi people of south Queensland. In traditional Indigenous culture, the game was played with a ball made of kangaroo skin which was called a buroinjin.

Year 8 student Charlotte Woosnam had the honour of being named the player of the tournament!

Over the course of the three-day festival, the students also got to take part in storytime with Elders and were treated to special appearances by ASHEMan and RumbaGirl!

ASHEfest provided a unique experience outside of the classroom and it was fantastic to see our students fully engrossed in various elements of traditional Indigenous culture – many of which they had never been previously exposed to.