The Early Years Learning Framework tells us that “children learn about themselves and construct their own identity within the context of their families and communities” (pg. 20). This year we have been on a journey to express our identity through the making of a flag.
The interest in flags arose from a small group of children who started to make flags following a child sharing a description of their families Chinese New Year celebration. It was at this point that educators realised we have at least thirty nationalities represented at Sturt House this year!
During this inquiry the children made a number of flags and made flags in a number of different ways. Flags were made in miniature with matchsticks and sticky tape, flags were drawn and flags were painted. The children enjoyed working in different scale and then began with much excitement to work more collaboratively as they painted large flags on material with acrylic paint. 
Then the Educators wondered if we could make a flag to represent who we are, a Sturt House Community Flag. We took this suggestion to the children and they immediately took up the idea and began brainstorming what would be on our Community Flag. We wondered what colour represents Sturt House? What symbols? What is community? We invited the children to draw their ideas.
Through this journey the children have been thinking deeply about who we are as a community. During a discussion the phrase “a together group” was coined. It came about as children combined their ideas around what is community; a group, being all together and that equalling “a together group”. What a wonderful definition!
With the idea of ‘a together group” in mind we continued working towards making our Community Flag. The background colour and design was decided democratically through a vote. Then the children planned their individual contribution, “Sturt House and me”, “all the children”, “all the children’s names” “the trees”, “the bird tree”, “the garden and eggplants”, “millipedes”, We need”blocks, paper planes, trains and the dress ups”.
While the journey is still ‘work in progress’, as identity is not fixed, we are excited to share this image of our Sturt House Community Flag. This flag depicts our relationships with each other, our place at Sturt House and Flinders and the things we enjoy. If relationships are the foundations for the construction of identity then we certainly have a strong sense of identity at Sturt House. 