Year 8 Cultural Day

In July this year, Year 8s had their annual Cultural and Languages Day.

Here are some reflections from students about their experience. 

Tim O'Neill, Year 8 French

In the morning of the Year 8 Cultural Day, we participated in a range of French-themed activities, including Olympic trivia, French dancing and circus tricks. All of the activities were a lot of fun and helped us learn more about the French culture. 

Then at midday, we enjoyed a big lunch where students made and brought in French food. There were also competitions for the best food, the best traditional menu, and the best decorations. 

Everyone put in an amazing effort, and I was very pleased with how delicious the food turned out!

Overall, I loved this experience. A big thank you to our teachers for organising it!

Adam Sheridan, Year 8 Japanese

In our first session, we were taught Yosakoi dancing, a type of traditional dance popular in Japan.

After that, we had a painting session where we learned how to use different types of ink to create various shades of black and white, and eventually painted bamboo and flowers. It was a nice, calm break from the excitement of Yosakoi dancing!

Most people’s highlight of the day, however, was the cultural luncheon. Everyone in Year 8 was split into groups, and we each created a Japanese or French-style lunch, complete with both food and decorations. My team brought karaage, katsudon, gyoza, ramune, edamame, and a Japanese-style cheesecake. My task was to make the cheesecake.

We had a trial run the weekend before, preparing all the food for Tuesday. We missed a few ingredients for the cheesecake, and it fell apart, so I made it again on Monday, and it turned out much better than I expected!

We ended up winning the judge’s award, which meant they said they’d love to eat our food again!

Overall, the Year 8 Cultural Day was a fantastic experience, and I’m already looking forward to next year.