Coming up!

Next week, on March 21st, is  Harmony Day!

On Friday, there will be an assembly to celebrate our diversity. The children have been practising their dances and preparing their iMovies. Please come along to watch them!

February 21st: UN International Mother Language Day

On Thursday, we celebrated  the UN International Mother Language Day.  This year is also the International Year of Indigenous Languages.

  • There are about 6000 languages in the world.
  • 43% are endangered.
  • Every two weeks a language disappear.
  • Globally, 40 per cent of the population does not have access to an education in a language they speak or understand.

Languages Matter!

At school, to acknowledge this, we have displayed  a few bi/multilingual books at the Library for children  to peruse.

We have also shown  a short clip at the end of assembly on Friday to illustrate the linguistic diversity we have here at Holy Family.

A few short snippets below.

 

Lunar New Year

Happy New Year! to everyone and a special Happy New Year! to those families who celebrated the Lunar New Year on February the 5th.

We also celebrated it at school. Many classes engaged into inquiry about this important event for our Vietnamese and Chinese communities. Children used they 100 languages to show their learning.   One way was through dance led by Ms Hong and performed at assembly in Week 1.

We’re looking forward to immersing ourselves further into celebrating our school’s cultural diversity.

Rehersal time with Ms Hong

 The MCs: Savio, Kristina and Hiep.

 

 

 

Dinka

Our last Language of the week for this year was Dinka. For this, students chose to share on stage a few facts about Dinka and South Sudan. They also performed a South Sudanese dance. Prior to their performance, they worked hard  with enthusiasm and passion which was evident on the stage!

 

Diwali-The Festival of Lights

This week, the Indian Community is celebrating Diwali. The 3MP and 5C assembly focused on this important festival. Below are a few facts about Diwali.

Facts about Diwali

1) Diwali is an important religious festival originating in India. People often think of Diwali as a Hindu festival, but it is also celebrated by Sikhs and Jains.

2) Diwali takes place annually and lasts for five days, marking the start of the Hindu New Year. The exact dates change each year and are determined by the position of the moon – but it usually falls between October and November.

3) The word Diwali (or Deepavali as it’s sometimes called) means “row of lights” in an Ancient language of India, called Sanskrit. During this festival, people decorate their homes with lights and oil lamps, called diyas.

4) For many people, Diwali honours the Hindu goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. The lights and lamps are said to help Lakshmi find her way into peoples’ homes, bringing prosperity in the year to come!

5) It’s also a celebration of good triumphing over evil, and different legends based on this theme are associated with Diwali. In northern India, Hindus celebrate the return of the deities (gods) Rama and Sita to the city of Ayodhya, after defeating the evil king Ravana!

6) In the region of Bengal, people worship the goddess Kali, the destroyer of evil forces, during Diwali. And in Nepal, people celebrate Lord Krishna’s victory over the wicked king Narakaasura.

7) But it’s not just about lights and legends –– Diwali is a time to have fun with friends and family! People exchange gifts and sweets, enjoy delicious feasts, watch firework displays and wear new clothes. It’s a time to clean and decorate your home, too.

8) Rangoli is a popular Diwali tradition –– beautiful patterns made using colourful powders and flowers. People draw rangoli on the floor by the entrance of their homes to welcome the gods and bring good luck!

9) Today, this fascinating festival is celebrated by thousands of people in countries all around the world. During Diwali, Hindus living outside India gather at places of worship called mandirs to leave offerings to deities, watch firework displays and eat yummy food together!

 

 

 

Moon Lantern Festival

Last Friday, we celebrated another amazing Moon Lantern Festival! The moon lanterns students have created this year have been the best ones yet!

The  assembly ran by 4RG, 2 IB and 2TD focused on the significance of this important event for our Vietnamese  and Chinese students and  their families.

They beautifully sang a song in Vietnamese with the help of Ms Hong. She  also choreographed a dance. The assembly finished with a bang!  The lion dance! This year we had a lioness. Ms Nicosia and Ms Battifuoco did a very good job mimicking a lion’s movements while Ms Quigley played the Fat man 😃

Happy Tea Trung Thu everyone!

\