What started as an idea grew into a vision and blossomed into an outstanding day of celebration.
Monday, 27th March, saw Rokeby’s first-ever Multicultural Day. Dr Tania Paracha, Chair of the Rokeby Parents’ Circle, organised an amazing day of music, dance and cultural sharing.
The day began on the playground with a welcome from Mr Peck. Dr Paracha introduced the event before the boys were invited to participate in a heritage catwalk. Seeing boys, parents and staff dressed in clothes representing their diverse individual heritage was delightful. Our school community’s collective wealth of cultural diversity was a visual feast, from Shaylan’s sherwani jacket teamed with cowboy boots to David, Christopher and Yunho’s gat and hanboks.
Throughout the day, the boys were treated to workshops led by external practitioners, including Gamelan, Taiko, Dohl Drumming, African Drumming and Gumboot Dancing. Teacher-led sessions included poetry from other cultures, Mehndi Design, Samba, Ukelele, Polish Dancing, Tarantella, Boules, and cultural talks relating to South Africa, Italy and Ireland. Hugely impressive were the parent-led sessions exploring cultures as diverse as Armenia, Germany, Poland, China, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Australia, Ethiopia, Israel, India, Turkey, Algeria, Japan, Kenya & Italy. We even had some sessions led by the boys themselves.
Seeing the smiles on the boys’ faces and hearing the discussions evoked and the questions asked and answered was a privilege.
A huge thank you to everyone involved on an unforgettable and life-affirming day.
Click here to view photos from the day.
