Happy Valley School

Responsibility
 Respect
 Integrity

 
 

Student Comments
 
  On Harmony Day we celebrated people from all over the world coming to Australia.
                                        Leigh
 
  Harmony Day is a day where we celebrate other nationalities in Australia. Today two visitors from South Korea came to our class. They talked to us about the customs in South Korea. We had lots of fun.   
                            Steven and Gavin
 

  Harmony Day is a day when we celebrate the fact that Australia is a Multi-cultural country.  We had some visitors from all over the world come to our school. 
                                  Emily

  Year 6 student, Emma is dressed in traditional Korean clothing.
 

  Trent Spacie is helped to put on a Korean hanbok.
 

  One of the Flinders University students displays and explains Korean yut sticks.
 

  These Year 7 students enjoyed their visit from the International students from Flinders University.
 

  Happy Valley students try their luck at a yut game, traditionally played by Korean people at New Year.

 

 

 
Responsibility
 Respect
 Integrity


Some of the Flinders University students who visited our school and helped make Harmony Day a memorable experience for everyone involved.

More photos of Harmony Day

Using the theme YOU + ME = US and the colour orange, the Happy Valley School celebrated Harmony Day on Thursday 21st March. This date was chosen because it coincided with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.

By recognising the day, the school and students were encouraged to take a stand against racism and intolerance, to practise traditional Australian values of justice, equality, fairness and friendship and to build a peaceful and productive society which promotes our cultured, linguistic, social and religious diversity.
Right: One of the International students from Flinders interacts with students in the yard.

As well as class discussions and activities, a highlight of the day was a visit to primary classes by International students from Flinders University.  The students spoke to classes about their culture and way of life, and involved our students in a range of special activities.

Above: Students from Year 5 MacLean/Draper dressed in orange (The Harmony Day colour) enjoy the activities.

Harmony Day provided our school with an opportunity to:

  • think about our community's success as a multicultural society;
  • re-commit to continuing tolerance, goodwill and understanding among all groups;
  • and say no to racism.


Above: Students in Ms Bath's Year 4 class try out their origami skills under the direction of one of the International students from Flinders University.

Harmony Day also highlighted

  • inclusiveness - to show that multiculturalism is relevant to all Australians;
  • benefits - to highlight the social, economic and cultural benefits of diversity
  • community harmony - to provide an opportunity for Australians to acknowledge our success as a harmonious and diverse nation and promote harmony.

Above: These faces reflect the mood of Harmony Day

Harmony Day offered an opportunity for our school community to focus on the traditional Australian values of justice, equality, fairness and friendship.  It was an ideal day for classes to reinforce

  • the school values;
  • habits of the mind that are embedded in Program Achieve ;
  • the Countering Harassments procedures that are established at the school;
  • the cultural diversity that exists in our school community;
  • the value of our German Language program.

In addition some classes used the day to discuss some of the challenges we face as a nation; like reconciliation and refugees/asylum seekers.

After discussing what is different and what is the same about all people, children from Mrs. Nicholson's and Mrs. Higgins' classes worked together to write this acrostic poem.

earts are the same
rms have different skin
ib bones are different
en and women are different
ver the world, people are different
ames are different
es, you are different, but we all can get along

More photos of Harmony Day

Back to 2002 Highlights

Annual Report   Archives   Governing Council   Highlights of 2008   School History 
Home Page   House Captains   Junior Primary News   Meet the Staff   Newsletters 
Parent Information   Principal's Page   Recent Site Updates   School Context Statement 
School Vision  Site Map: Index   Special Programmes   Student Leadership   Term Planner