The Multicultural Day provided an opportunity for the school community to show love and appreciation for each other while developing an understanding of differences through fun and culturally diverse experiences.

Themed ‘Around the World in 80 Minutes’, the day was brought together by myself and fellow EAL/D teacher, Louise Robertson.

With ‘passports’ in hand, students spent the afternoon ‘travelling the world’ as they immersed themselves in each other’s cultures and celebrated the uniqueness all around at St Patrick’s, as well as the similarities that unite the school community.

Students got the chance to try some Bollywood dancing in India, go on a safari in Kenya, participate in language lessons in Macedonia and learn some traditional dancing in Serbia.

Along with all the fun activities, students were invited to wear clothing representing their culture and make a gold coin donation, with all funds raised donated to various social justice initiatives.

The Multicultural Day seems to have opened up an important dialogue and it’s lovely to hear the students chatting with each other about their own families and backgrounds – we’re all discovering something new in the process.

The support and enthusiasm from parents and the wider school community has been wonderful.

Photography by Amanda Skehan