By Natasha Fujimoto
SOMETIMES the smallest event has the greatest impact, and while schools all around the nation celebrated cultural diversity throughout Harmony Week, March 19-27, some of the region’s smallest joined in with gusto.
With just seven students (soon to swell to 11 with new enrolments), Currawa Primary School is one of the region’s oldest and is situated on the grounds of the Dookie Agricultural School.
Shining a light on the nation’s rich cultural diversity, Currawa Primary warmly hosted Harmony Week celebrations on Tuesday, March 21.
Bringing together fellow small schools, Dhurringile, Dookie and Moorroopna North Primary, around 50 students explored cultural understanding and appreciation through fun activities including cooking, enjoying music, art and making friendship bracelets.
Beginning the celebrations, principal of Currawa Primary School, Rebecca Brown explained that the children were encouraged to introduce themselves, leading with their cultural heritage, followed by a group discussion on the importance of inclusivity, diversity and the vibrant nature of multiculturalism in Australia.
Broadening the Harmony Week theme, the conversation also highlighted the importance of celebrating disability, alerting students to its often-invisible nature.
With three of Currawa’s seven students speaking Malay at home, the school is no stranger to cultural inclusivity, with students even learning Mandarin on a weekly basis.
An innovative, small school with a big heart, Currawa Primary also champions science, as Rebecca said, “As the school sits on university grounds where science is prevalent, science is the umbrella under which all our learning takes place, throughout the day, every day.”
Ensuring the unique centenarian school continues to thrive well into the future, a $1.9M modernisation project will soon get underway, providing a new facility for up to 50 students by September’s end.
