On Friday 12 May I was thrilled to attend the opening of Faulconbridge Public School's Yarning Circle. The Yarning Circle provides a safe place to talk, share, discuss and educate. It's a place to build respectful relationships and a space to enrich students' learning experiences.

Faulconbridge Public School has strong ties to our local Darug community and the yarning circle is reflective of those ties. It encourages students to consider the land that they are taught on, as well as respect the values the circle embodies: active listening without judgement, building on what others are saying, and mutual respect. For the students, this will become part of their teaching and learning journey. Relieving principal Chris Payne has said the circle will encourage students to build their understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture with responsible, respectful and honest interactions. It was lovely as always to see Aunty Carol Cooper there and Uncle Graeme Cooper too, who provided a welcome to country and coordinated the smoking ceremony for the opening. I was proud to support this project through the Community Building Partnerships program and congratulate Faulconbridge Public School for bringing this wonderful idea to life.