Languages Week
Avril Alderdice
Mount Carmel College held their annual Languages Week in Week 4 of this term. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and learn more about the diversity of languages and culture that exist within our school community and in our classrooms.
During Japanese class, primary students participated in a geographical scavenger hunt, designed to teach students more about the islands and main places in Japan. Year 7 students learnt a traditional Yosakoi Japanese dance, using naruko (clapping instruments) in their routine. Year 8 students participated in a ‘Japanese Sports Day’, trying out typical games played by Japanese students on this day. Year 9/10 Japanese students made onigiri (Japanese rice balls) with the 9/10 Japanese students from St Virgil’s.
During lunch, students were invited to do get involved in a range of activities. Students could try their hand at Japanese calligraphy, making gift or postcards to keep for themselves or give to a loved one. They learnt how to write expression such as ‘Happy Birthday’, ‘Thank you’, ‘Family’ or ‘Dream’ in Japanese writing script. Students were invited to bring in a dish from a country they connect with and we were blown away with the diversity of dishes. Please enjoy this video that provides a snapshot of what students brought along. On the final day, the Japanese Snacks Café was opened up, allowing students to purchase snacks such as Pokky, Hello Panda and Japanese Kit-Kats.
There was also a competition displayed on the Languages board for the week. The goal was to match place names to images of buildings or landmarks around the world. Now it’s time to announce the winner! One winner was drawn from the students with all correct answers (outstanding achievement) and one winner was drawn from all the students that participated (commendable achievement).
- Outstanding Achievement : Rosie McLean (Year 7)
- Commendable Achievement : Secondary – Sofia Hollingsworth (Year 8), Primary – Olivia Ims (Year 6)
Thank you to all those in the Mount Carmel community that participated in Languages Week! We hope you enjoyed it!