North Shore Times (New Zealand)
International festival acknowledges diversity
Long Bay College is encouraging cultures to do more than co-exist.
The school’s inaugural International Festival Week aimed to bring the range of nationalities at the school together.
Head of English for academic purposes Jayne Jones hopes the event can become annual.
‘‘The aim of the week is for students to celebrate. For some to recognise their culture and to celebrate other cultures,’’ Jones says.
‘‘It’s an opportunity to learn from each other and more than just co-exist.’’
She says the week brought a ‘‘splash of colour’’ to the school during winter.
International student leader Daniel Metcalf says throughout the week there’s been a ‘‘buzz’’ around the school.
‘‘For a lot of people it’s the first time they’ve been introduced to a lot of these cultures,’’ Metcalf says.
Throughout the week a range of activities were held including mini olympics, a food festival and national costume day.
It culminated in a multicultural show including South African, Samoan and Thai performances.
Three neighbouring schools also visited during the week.