Connecting cultures

CONNECTING cultures was the theme of the month at Hampton Park Primary School recently.
Staff, students and parents celebrated Multicultural March at the school and took part in an array of activities to recognise the many cultures that make up the school community.
Highlights included a Connecting Cultures concert on 25 March at Hampton Park Secondary College, which included visiting Polynesian dance teacher Bernard Mangakahia, and an evening of cultural foods and dance displays from countries including Samoa, Cambodia, Philippines and India on 17 March.
Families were asked to bring along a plate of food from their culture to share on the night.
Throughout the fortnight, parents and other family members were invited into the school to celebrate and share their traditional foods, costumes and folktales with the students.
Humanities co-ordinator Jenny Norman said Multicultural March helped students learn the depth and beauty of the many cultures at the school.
The school recently received a $2200 grant from the Victorian Multicultural Commission to help meet the costs associated with the school’s five cultural diversity quest entries and other events.