The holistic development of young children is greatly enriched by cultural diversity, helping them comprehend and engage with the world around them. In mid-March, we proudly celebrated Cultural Diversity Week in our Early Childhood Education (ECE) programme, fostering cultural awareness among the children. With activities centred on the children's interests, their teachers' backgrounds, and enthusiastic support from parents and grandparents, each class tailored their focus, ensuring an authentic and memorable experience for all. Let's delve into the highlights of Culture Week!

Nursery Rhymes and Storytelling

The week began with the children enthusiastically singing and acting out their favourite nursery rhymes, such as 'Five Little Speckled Frogs' and 'The Ants Go Marching'. We are grateful to the parents and grandparents who visited the school to read stories in their mother tongue, captivating the children. These playful activities facilitated bilingual language development, pronunciation, and numeracy skills.

Food Customs

Exploring culture also includes delving into culinary traditions, so the week featured cooking demonstrations and food tasting. Ms Laura taught her 'Penguins' class how to create a popular Irish children's birthday treat using melted chocolate and rice krispies. The 'Toucan' class hosted a delightful tea party featuring New Zealand-inspired fairy bread and fruit tea, under Ms Jayne's guidance. This presented a fantastic opportunity for children to practice social skills such as collaboration, turn-taking, and sharing while learning about various cultural traditions.

Dancing the World

The culmination of Culture Week coincided with St. Patrick's Day, making green floor painting, music, and dancing the perfect way to conclude the eventful week. The Penguins, Frogs, and Elephants classes enjoyed Irish River and Scottish Ceilidh dancing, while the Monkeys class participated in the powerful traditional Haka dance from New Zealand, led by Mr Cliff. Through these global customs, the children honed their physical skills, coordination, and sense of rhythm.

Finding Our Place

Having experienced a myriad of activities, the children discovered more about themselves and their origins. A large world map print on the wall served as a fitting conclusion to their immersive cultural learning journey.

Throughout Culture Week, the diverse range of activities enabled the children to explore cultural similarities and differences, develop a sense of identity and belonging, and gain a deeper understanding of the world around them – all while having a splendid time!