Stirring indigenous poetry, intricate henna painting and mouth-watering cultural snacks – all the many cultures of Glenroy College collided in the most idyllic way during Harmony Week celebrations.
The College grounds were a buzz of activity during our special Harmony Week activities. Harmony Week is an annual event in March that celebrates cultural diversity around Australia. The official Harmony Week slogan this year is ‘everyone belongs’ and that’s a message that holds here at Glenroy College.
A Koorie kickstart to Harmony Week
Festivities kicked off at Glenroy College on Tuesday, 22 March, with a special visit from local Koorie elder Uncle Ringo, who spoke to Year 7 students about the local indigenous experience. He also shared a poem that revealed the heartache and brutality of colonisation and its devastating impact on Aboriginal people.
Students listened attentively to Uncle Ringo before giving a rousing “Koorie, Koorie, Koorie” chant and tucking into some lemon myrtle biscuits baked by our own talented Year 10 Food Tech crew.
More ways to celebrate our Glenroy College cultures
The fun continued on Thursday, 24 March, when students were invited to come in traditional dress or casual clothes, with a nod to their cultural heritage or a splash of orange in honour of Harmony Week. Henna decorating, map decorating, cultural games, face painting and a host of other fun tasks kept students busy.
Student leaders Bronte Hood and Cecile Telefoni told fellow students about the background to Harmony Week before the lunchtime celebrations kicked off outside the new library resource centre.
“We wear orange because orange is the universal colour for social communication and meaningful conversations. This also ties in well with our school’s values of integrity and respect. When we have personal integrity and can respect ourselves and each other, this leads to valuable teamwork and great moments of achievement,” Cecile said.
Bronte added: “Why does Harmony Day matter to Glenroy College? Australia is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world and Melbourne is probably the most diverse city in Australia. Here at Glenroy College, we represent at least 20 different countries and 24 different languages!”
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