The theme for NAIDOC Week 2026 was 50 Years of Deadly.

For five decades, NAIDOC Week has celebrated the voices of First People's communities — steady, unapologetic, and proud. Each year, its themes have called for truth, celebrated culture, honoured resistance, and reminded the nation of First Peoples are.

Fifty Years of Deadly marks a milestone. It’s a tribute to the people who built this movement. the Elders who stood firm, the organisers who made space, the artists who turned resistance into expression, and the communities who keep showing up, year after year.

NAIDOC has always been more than a week — it’s a platform, a protest, a celebration, and a statement of survival.

More information on NAIDOC Week and Education Resources (with Culture is Life)

Warringa Park School is a specialist school located in Hoppers Crossing on Bunurong Country. The school population is drawn from the City of Wyndham and caters for students aged 5 to 18 years who have a diagnosed intellectual disability. Warringa Park is a P-12 school with four campuses.

For NAIDOC Week, Warringa Park School has developed a series of learning experiences that bring Aboriginal culture and storytelling to life through technology.

‍Emu in the Sky Through Virtual Reality

Warringa Park School has an ongoing partnership with Wyndham Tech School, giving our students access to a range of exciting and engaging projects that build skills for the future.

As part of this partnership, students used VR headsets and the Open Brush application to retell the Dreamtime story of the Emu in the Sky. Immersed in a night sky canvas, students used VR controllers to paint brushstrokes bringing the story to life, creating fire, stars, and the night sky itself before recording a voiceover narration to tell the story of the Emu in the Sky.

These works were then shared across our campuses, showcasing the creativity and skill of our students to the wider school community.

‍The Rainbow Serpent Through Digital Storytelling

At Warringa Park, we pride ourselves on offering hands-on, authentic, and creative learning opportunities for every student. As an accredited Apple Distinguished School, we work closely with the Apple Education team to ensure our students have access to the best possible tools and experiences. Underpinned by our school motto, "Imagine the Possibilities," this project reflects our commitment to an inclusive, supportive learning environment and is grounded in our school values of learning, working together, and respect. The work also directly supports students' Individual Education Plans (IEPs).

Creation, not consumption

Warringa Park runs a 1:1 iPad program for all staff and students, with a strong focus on creation rather than consumption. Students use their iPads to capture and demonstrate learning in a range of creative ways, through video, drawing, voice recording, and animation.

In our Specialist and Elective classes, students have access to a wide range of technologies, recording and production software, and green screen studios. For this project, students were introduced to the Dreamtime story of the Rainbow Serpent and worked together to retell it through digital art.

Using Logitech Crayons and applications on the iPad, students created digital artworks to support the story, then brought their drawings to life through animation, layering their own voiceover narration to complete the storytelling experience.

Understanding the Rainbow Serpent

As part of the project, students explored the Rainbow Serpent's central role in Aboriginal Creation stories, understanding it as a powerful being who shaped the world and gave life to the land. Across many Aboriginal traditions, the Serpent is described as a shaper of landscapes, carving out rivers, waterholes, and mountains as it moved across the country.

Through this exploration, students considered how the Rainbow Serpent's story continues to hold meaning and significance for Aboriginal communities today.

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Athena Gasteratos, Learning Specialist of Innovation

Filiz Ates, Media Specialist Teacher