Craigburn Primary School celebrates Harmony Week
By Student Representative Executive Council Executive Leaders
Australia is an incredibly diverse country that people from many different backgrounds call home. Harmony Week provides an opportunity for us to celebrate the cohesive and inclusive nature of Australia and promotes a tolerant and culturally diverse society, with its key message being ‘Everyone Belongs’.
Throughout the week students at Craigburn Primary School celebrated inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for all Australians, from the traditional custodians of the land to those who have come from many countries around the world.
The colour orange represents Harmony Week. Traditionally, orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect.
Students at Craigburn Primary School kicked off the celebrations on Tuesday 21 March. To show their support for cultural diversity and an inclusive Australia, students could choose to wear orange or cultural clothing and order special orange iced, people shaped harmony biscuits from the canteen.
Students also participated in various activities throughout the week to celebrate. Student Representative Council Executive Leaders organised lunchtime activities over the week to signal we all belong. These included a whole school jigsaw creation in the library and a music dance off on the bottom courts. Students were also involved in individual and buddy classroom learning, which enabled students to learn and understand how all Australians equally belong to this nation and enrich it.
Craigburn Primary School students transformed the school’s front fence into a kaleidoscope paper chain of multicultural dolls. This whole school activity encouraged students to think about how we all may have individual differences but can still contribute to a happy and peaceful world.
Every student in the school decorated a doll that represented the rich diversity of our amazing school and country. The 420 paper chain dolls are holding hands, representing that it is important to live in peace with one another, regardless of how we may live our lives.
Craigburn Primary School is committed to celebrating Australia’s cultural diversity and promoting inclusiveness and believes the message of respect and belonging goes beyond the week-long celebration. It can be lived by each of us, every day.
By Student Representative Executive Council Executive Leaders
