This week's Asian Festival
ƵƬ students have been preparing for our biennial Asian Festival to run over three days this week.
Class research projects on aspects of our neighbouring countries, including Japan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, China, India, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and Pakistan, have been varied and surprising.
Students have studied Cinderella-type stories from Korea, Cambodia, the Hmong people, and China, comparing and analysing the cultural contexts in class groups.
Visual displays, featuring items such as Korean masks, cherry blossom art, origami pictures, rangoli art work, Wayang puppets, kimono craft, mandalas, kokeshi dolls, Thai hats, Chinese opera masks, haiku poems and currency samples, were created and shared by classes.
These static displays are set up in the K-6 library (next to the 7-10 library) and families are especially invited to visit on Tuesday between 3pm and 5pm. All classes, with their special passports in hand, should have the opportunity to visit on Monday and Tuesday.
Insome of the Mama Margaret’s Kitchen classes, young chefs will prepare tasters of Asian dishes to share with all - this will be outside the Savio Centre Monday at 12.20pm and Tuesday 2.50pm. Yum!
We are all looking forward to the culminating assembly on Wednesday at 1.30pm - parents are invited to this too.
Festival organiser, ƵƬ Japanese language teacher Mrs Belinda Kumashiro, said students from a variety of cultural backgrounds could share an aspect of their heritage.
“A fabulous Bollywood dance routine will be a highlight, performed by Anit Saju, Priyanka Jibi, Brianna and Bryon Shaji,” said Mrs Kumisharo. “And our karate champions, Kate and Angus Jones, even gave a karate demonstration.”
Kindergarten to Year 6 classes will join together at the assembly for everyone’s favourite mass student dance, the Soran Bushi, a traditional dance from Japan which tells the story of life for fishermen and women, with movements that depict ocean waves, dragging nets, pulling ropes and lifting luggage over their shoulders.
ƵƬ Principal, Ms Beth Gilligan, said the College community has realised Australia is geo-politically, economically and socially part of Asia. “Educators now understand our students need to be prepared to be citizens of the Asia region. At ƵƬ, we now begin our Asian language exposure to Japanese in Kindergarten for this very reason.”
“All students up to Year 6 study Japanese and our Year 7 students now have a taster of both Japanese and Indonesian before choosing their electives. We want students to be deeply connected to our Asian neighbours and to appreciate the region as a great place where many will eventually work, study and live.” Ms Gilligan said the ƵƬ Asian Festival broadens the perspectives of our students and increases their understanding of different cultures and places in our diverse Asian region.
A Catholic School in the Salesian Tradition
