Multi-culture at Ettalong

Ettalong Public School has had a week of multicultural activity.

Performers came to entertain and educate the 600 students about the diversity of the Australian multicultural society.

Teaching tolerance and understanding of all members of our Australian multicultural society is a priority at Ettalong Public School.

And what better time to hold a multicultural festival than in the weeks leading up to the Olympic Games.

The week began with a performance entitled "Ready, Set, Go - a History of the Modern Olympics".

Presented by Company Theatre Physical, the troupe kept the children enthralled as they cartwheeled and climbed their way through the performance.

Each class became a different country for the week and children were taught about the culture, language and customs of their country.

Children were invited to wear the national costume of their country.

Parents were invited to join the children in using passports to travel to each country, where they had their visas stamped, showing the countries they had visited.

Parents were also invited to have a picnic lunch with their children following these visits. After all that travelling everyone was bound to be hungry.

Children were also given class presentations on Aboriginal Dance and Culture performed by the Miree Aboriginal Dancers and Kevin Duncan.

They were taught about designs and symbolism of Aboriginal bodywork painting, symbols costumes and tribal boundary maps.

They were also told stories which explained hunting and gathering stories and animal dances.

The children were encouraged to learn and participate in the dances and teachers reported that the children thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

The week ended with a mini Olympic Games which saw some great competition, and maybe some future Olympians, striving to do their best as they tried their hand at both new sports and old.

September 12