Students culture diversity

By Sarah Schwager
HAMPTON Park Primary School has joined community groups from around the state in celebrating different cultures during Cultural Diversity Week.
The school has created its own celebratory week called Multicultural Week, to celebrate all the varying cultures of children and staff at the school.
Events include Polynesian dances, flag parade, multicultural cuisine and an invitation to parents to talk about where they come from.
Teacher and organiser of the festival Jenny Norman said the school had been lucky enough to receive a multicultural grant from the Victorian Multicultural Commission last month.
The funding supports major festivals, conferences or multicultural community events.
Multicultural Week at the school will run from 22 to 29 March with a number of events, including dressing in cultural clothing with students to bring a gold coin donation to go to the Royal Children’s Hospital.
“Children from all cultures access the children’s hospital,” Ms Norman said.
The school will also launch its world map, which is now hung up in the main passageway.
“This will lead into a week of festivities where the school community at each grade level will contribute and celebrate with music, food and dance from their own cultures,” Ms Norman said.
She encouraged the Hampton Park school community to become involved in the festivities.
She asked any parents or family members who wanted to cook, talk about their culture, dance, music or art work to contact the school and come along during the week.
Cultural Diversity Week runs from 17 to 23 March, with a range of activities planned.
The week provides an opportunity for all Victorians to celebrate their cultural, linguistic and religious diversity and also marks the United Nations Day for the Elimination of Racism on 21 March.
For more information on events to be held and ways to get involved see www.culturaldiversity.vic.gov.au.