At the end of last term, Staughton College celebrated Cultural Diversity Week with lunch time performances and a Cultural Fashion Parade.

I enjoyed the hype and the haka. It’s always a pleasure to see. I enjoyed the unity that was present, all those different cultures coming together. Our school is made up of numerous students that hail from different cultural backgrounds, and the accomodation and celebration of those various backgrounds provide a sense of camaraderie between those students and the school. To next year’s Cultural Ambassadors, put in effort. Effort gets you miles ahead.

Eve Bozan, Cultural Ambassador

I was impressed that it all went smoothly and we got quite a a good amount of people to perform. I liked the cultural/ ethnic mosaic, as there’s just a lot of lovely people with beautiful cultures, and when these people come together, it’s just amazing. Cultural Diversity Week is important because it promotes inclusiveness. People are proud of their culture and celebrate it.. making sure eveyrone is welomed and valued.

As for the school, it shows how important we value and respect each other and every person’s cultural background, and want to make sure they are proud and everyone is welcomed.

I hope they make the Cultural Diversity Week bigger than it has been in previous years. For the ambassadors next year, just enjoy and make Ms. Yvette proud!

Aruna Asumani, Cultural Ambassador

Cultural Diversity Week is one of the days where everyone comes together and we all celebrate the same thing but in our own unique ways. Everyone feels accepted in their own ways and gives the school a chance to appreciate everyone’s different cultures and brings the whole school as a collective, as well as seeing the different sides of individuals.

I believe that it’s important due to it being one week of a collective of people’s families and themselves who have immigrated a chance to bring their culture and be able to share that and celebrate it with a group of unique people. The performances and specific roles are futher opportunities for us students, as it takes us out of our comfort zone and gives us a platform to do something new for our culture and express the traditions in our school.

For next year’s Cultural Ambassadors, I would definitely encourage to make the younger year levels more comfortable. As a Cultural Ambassador, it’s your duty to make students comfortable and to reach out to you and express to them how much of a blessing it is that we are given this opportunity in our school. Our school is looked up to by many schools in Melton due to our Cultural Week so make sure we stay at the top and collectively come as a school and encourage everyone to add their inuqueness to culture.

Avneek Sandhu, Cultural Ambassador

Staughton College's CDW is a reminder of how wonderful it is to celebrate diversity. The students' appreciation and enjoyment of the performances from different backgrounds create a fun and inclusive atmosphere. Watching the students perform and the fashion show participants show off their unique attires is a joyous experience that leaves a lasting impression on everyone. Moments like these highlight the importance of embracing different cultures and backgrounds and appreciating the diverse talents and perspectives that improve our society.

Deng Tebir, Community Engagement Officer

The students worked long and hard the whole of Term 1 to get ready for this week – I couldn’t be prouder of every single one of them. Friendships were forged when Asians learned a Samoan dance, cultures were shared when Samoans learned a Fijian dance, the school was treated to colorful outfits from Tuvaluan dancers for the first time ever, and many, many, more milestones were reached. Our Cultural Ambassadors are amazing young people who showed resiliency and passion in spades.

Heartfelt thanks to our partners who came out to support our endeavours – Edmund Rice Services, Le Mana Pasifika, Melton Young Communities and City Council, and the Western Bulldogs. Special thanks goes out to Mauana Fepuleai of Melton Young Communities for teaching our juniors a Samoan siva. I look forward to the Cultural Family Picnic that comes in Term 4, where we will have families in after school to join the festivities.

Yvette Medina, Community Engagement Lead

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