Sharing Our Cultures

We are fortunate to have students in our communities whose families hail from almost 40 countries around the world. Creating cross-cultural understanding and intercultural competencies is important not only to support the individual identities of our students, but also to prepare them to thrive in an interconnected global society.

foods such as pomegranates, cinnamon, and lemons), and Grade 3 parents and loved ones visited classrooms to share their culture’s food, traditional clothing, traditions, celebrations, and beliefs and practices.

In early 2023, we were also delighted to reintroduce our community Lunar New Year celebration. More than 800 members of our community welcomed the Year of the Rabbit with a grand weekend event that featured student performances, art activities and games, and of course, tasty treats.

By learning about and celebrating the traditions that members of our community practise and cherish, we help foster an appreciation for the world around us, both near and far. Through our acknowledgement and honouring of special events - be that in classrooms with parent volunteers or through large-scale community events - we aim to promote understanding and empathy while also empowering students to embrace their heritage and cultural identity with pride.

Our Primary Years Programme learners explore cultural traditions and expressions through their Who We Are and How We Express Ourselves Units of Inquiry. Some examples are preschoolers who embraced the IB Learner profile attribute of risk-taking by trying delicious snacks from around the world, Kindergarten students who share their own experiences with celebrations such as Yalda (an Iranian winter solstice festival, which as per Emma M, involves singing and dancing and special

This event comes together with the incredible effort of a huge team of parent volunteers and we extend our gratitude for their energy and commitment.

Another traditional Mulgrave event, our celebration of Norouz and Navroz, Persian and Ismaili New Year, took on a different tone in respect of global events.

While parent volunteers still infused our spaces with the symbolic displays of these celebrations, we did not host a community gathering in reflection of the difficult circumstances in Iran.

As Head of School, John Wray, wrote to our community, “I know this new year milestone may bring mixed emotions. While this is often a time to look forward with hope and optimism, that is difficult this year as human rights allies and advocates continue to face persecution, violence, and death. In respect of these circumstances, we are not hosting a party at school, and instead, ask that all members of our community take a bit of time to learn or reflect on what is happening in this part of the world as well as other places where people do not enjoy the freedom of thought and identity that many of us do.” The Haft Sin displays around our campus, however, reminded us of the positivity of this celebration of renewal.

The beautiful presentations are symbolic in the inclusion and arrangement of seven items beginning with the letter ‘S’ to welcome the first day of spring. For example, Seeb (apples) represent health and Serkeh (vinegar) symbolises patience and age.

So whether we learn through classroom explorations of cultural traditions through music, storytelling, and research, or revel in the joy of culinary experiences and community gatherings, these activities all help us build connectedness and understanding of one another.