Harmony Day

This past week, our school has been alive with energy as we celebrated Harmony Week—a time to recognise and embrace the incredible diversity within our community. Despite some challenges with the weather, our events were a resounding success, with students, families, and staff joining in to make the most of each moment.

Our Open Afternoon on Wednesday was a wonderful success! Students engaged deeply with the powerful picture storybook The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name, using it as inspiration to explore their own heritage, culture, and names. The home learning projects were creative, thoughtful, and deeply personal, showcasing the unique backgrounds of our students and their families. Thank you to everyone who came along to share in this special afternoon—our classrooms were filled with pride, storytelling, and celebration!

Following the Open Afternoon, our after-school picnic and live music event was an absolute highlight. Despite the rain, families gathered to enjoy the lively atmosphere, with the bush band bringing an incredible energy to the evening. It was a joyful way to come together as a community, celebrating the connections that make SKiPPS such a special place.

On Friday morning, we kicked off the day with a fantastic before-school breakfast. Families enjoyed fresh coffee and delicious pastries while talented roaming performers brought extra joy to the morning drop-off. It was a perfect way to start the day—great coffee, great company, and great entertainment!

Throughout the day, students participated in engaging multi-age class activities around the theme We All Belong. Working in groups from Foundation to Year 6, students collaborated, created, and connected—learning from and supporting each other in a way that truly reflected the spirit of Harmony Week. It was incredible to see older students guiding and encouraging the younger ones, making the experience even more special.

We had been so excited to bring our school community together for a beautiful Harmony Day assembly on Friday morning, with students ready to share their incredible musical and dance performances, as well as their insightful learning. However, as you can imagine, the unpredictable Melbourne weather had other plans. With Thursday night’s storm causing damage to our quadrangle and the rain continuing, we made the tough decision to cancel the assembly. A fallen ceiling panel meant the area had to be isolated for safety assessments, and unfortunately, having no suitable indoor space for such a large gathering meant we couldn’t go ahead.

While we were disappointed not to celebrate together in person, the spirit of Harmony Day was still alive and well throughout the school. The special classroom activities and our wonderful community breakfast gave us a chance to connect, reflect, and celebrate all the things that make us unique and united.

The good news is that we won’t let the weather stop us from sharing our students’ hard work! 

Many of the performances, reflections, and celebrations from the cancelled assembly will now take place at our final assembly of the term on Friday, 4th April, at 2pm. We look forward to gathering then and celebrating the incredible efforts of our students.

A huge thank you to all students, staff, and families for their participation and support throughout Harmony Week. Your enthusiasm and resilience truly embodied the spirit of the occasion. We can’t wait for more opportunities to come together in the future—hopefully with sunnier skies! 🌞