TK Celebrated “Who We Are” with UN Week
by Kirsty Kelly, PYP Coordinator, TK Campus -
TK students started off the 2015-16 year with Uniting Nations Week and a celebration of Who We Are. A schedule full of events promoted intercultural understanding and respect, a goal of the IB mission statement, and gave everyone an opportunity to see just how diverse the TK community is.
Monday began with a burst of colour and music, as students took part in the Parade of Nations. As an opening event, it truly showcased the diversity of who we are and where we come from, as over 50 nations were represented. The parade opened with our youngest students from Pre-K, JK and SK waving their flags and smiling broadly, followed by members of our Canadian school community. The rest of our students and staff entered nation by nation to cheering and applause from our audience. The parade ended with our proud hosts – the Singaporean staff and students who sang along to the 50th anniversary song. This event was streamed live around the world so extended families could take part and join in our celebration.
In the beginning of the week in the afternoons everyone had an opportunity to get up and dance! First, students welcomed a Bhangra dance group, which combined lively music, acrobatics and some great dancing. Everyone enjoyed the opportunity to get up on their feet and move to the music Bhangra-style. A group of risk-takers, made up of staff and students from every grade even went up to the stage to share their best moves with the audience. The following day was a Malay dance performance, with a chance for students and teachers alike to learn more new steps and enjoy an entertaining performance. Our guests ended their visit with a Dikir Barat where everyone learnt to both sing and dance in traditional Malay style.
Our final event, the Food Festival was once again a highlight of Uniting Nations Week. The TK PTA coordinated parent groups from over 20 countries to offer delicious samples of food from their nations. Students enjoyed everything from mussels to dumplings to waffles. Everyone was a risk-taker and no one left hungry. Many had a new favourite food or at least something they would like to taste again.
Throughout the week teachers joined other classes to share an element of their own culture, whether it was a game, a story, a song or some photos. Several times it was discovered that the song or the story was familiar but known by a different name or had different characters. This served to further reinforce the idea that Uniting Nations Week is not just an opportunity to celebrate our diversity, but also to celebrate our similarities.
An event like this is the result of great collaboration. Great thanks to the TK PTA, Maintenance Department, IT Support and UN Week committee for making Uniting Nations Week 2015-16 a huge success!