International Day a Success!
In most countries, the marketplace is where people meet to visit, to eat and to exchange ideas and beliefs. On Thursday, March 27, 2003, the Huron Heights gym was transformed into just such a marketplace. Over 500 people attended International Day which was organized by the School Community Councils from both Huron Heights (grade 4 to 8) and Elgin Market (JK to 3) Public Schools.
Throughout the evening, the sounds of bagpipes mingled with Chinese folk music and children's laughter. The air was filled with scents of Mexican, Indian and German foods. Children dressed in national costume wandered around visiting displays from Angola, the Aboriginal Ojibway, Romania and the Ukraine along with sampling Welsh cakes, scones from England, Japanese sushi, French bread and cheese, and mouth watering desserts from Holland and Italy.
It was an incredible evening with people all talking about what a wonderful experience it was. They saw how wooden shoes were made, learned about the history of South Africa, watched videos from Argentina, admired rich colourful tapestries from Pakistan, and learned about Emma Johnstone's school in Ecuador.
At the end of the evening, Chandra Tripathi, one of the organizers thanked all the volunteer teachers, parents and students who put hours into setting up the displays. He then summarized the goals of the event and the importance of sharing with each other a little of ourselves.
"Learning about each other is about giving and forgiving, not getting and forgetting." Waving his arm around the room at all the different cultures represented, Chandra closed the evening by saying, "This is Canada."
A very fitting way for a school and a community to celebrate Anti-Racism Day.
(The above report was written by Richard Yun - one of the event's organizers.)
Participants in our gym with all the various displays in the background.
If anyone would like further information on the International Day event, the co-organizer, Chandra Tripathi, can be reached at: [email protected] |
