June 15, 2011
To view pictures set to music of diversity night, click here
Sir Ernest MacMillan Public School held a diversity night May 25 to bring the community together to celebrate the principles of acceptance while promoting inclusivity and respect for all people.
“We wanted to provide the community with a greater understanding and awareness about what Diversity looks like in Halton today and our ever-changing society,” says teacher DeepKiran Kallah.
Some of the stations/activities seen that night included a Halton, Organization for Pride Education (H.O.P.E) display, promoting “Positive Space”; displays from the Safe Schools Action Team and Halton Multicultural Council; a Global Café featuring finger foods from around the world; a heritage fashion show; Zumba dance; and a Bollywood beauty center.
Kallah says it was important to create an event that “looked at diversity through a different lens.” The school wanted something that did more than highlight food and dances from around the world, she explains.
“We wanted the community to leave our event with a new perspective of diversity.”
Kallah says before the event was held, students discussed what diversity meant and looked like.
“Several answers from the students were, ‘It’s about cultures and ethnic groups, and it’s about people from different countries.’ It was then I realized that this was a great teaching moment and time to teach our students about Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Education.”
“Our students learned everyone should feel accepted. Students have the right to be respected and protected in any learning environment. Canada is a great country, and a country made up of immigrants from around the world.”
To further celebrate diversity, students made posters stating, “Honour Similarities, Respect Differences and Celebrate Diversity”, and hung them throughout the school.