Multicultural day

Celebrating Multicultural Day

Epping Secondary College celebrated Multicultural Day on Tuesday 5th September, which allowed our students and staff to celebrate the diversity of our school community.

 The main courtyard was a hive of activity with multicultural food, cultural singing, music and dancing, facing painting and Multicultural Tabloid Sports.

 The atmosphere was energetic and positive and highlighted that our school community values and celebrates the diversity and heritage in our school. 

Preparing and running this event was a collaborative effort from the VM and VPC students, Wellbeing, SRC Team, Hands On Learning, and all individuals involved demonstrated Care, Respect and Resilience when planning and implementing the event.

 A special mention to Mona (Multicultural Officer) and Leanne Halsall, MC Theo Williams (SRC Rep), Mary Loar our Multicultural Captain, Ms Neri’s YR11 VM Work Related Skills students, Ms Bauer's YR12 VM Personal Development class, Nyareak Mulwal and Maya Obamwonyi leading the SRC students behind the scenes, the Library and Office staff, Mr. Kaska for the incredible pizza, our student and staff performers and cultural dancers, and the Art and Music staff for all their hard work and commitment in helping to organise and run the event. 

Congratulations to all students from 7C, 7D and 7E for showing such enthusiasm and team spirit when competing during the Multicultural Tabloid Sports event.

Multicultural Day Tabloid Sport Results

Year 7C, 7D & 7E:

Congratulations to the students who performed cultural dances in front of their peers.

Yuri Anwar of Year 9 performed the dance Lengger Lanang and has explained the meaning here:

Lengger Lanang Dance

This dance is an ancient Indonesian dance, originating from Banyumas, Central Java.  Lengger means 'thought to be a woman, turns out to be a man'.  Lanang means a young man. No one truly knows when it emerged in Banyums, but the story is in the Indonesian folklore script called Serat Centini.  In the Serat Centini, it says, "There is a short man from Wirasaba, someone who looks like a beautiful woman, and the duke has all his love, but it turns out that it is a man".

The dance is normally performed for events, weddings, and celebrations. It is said that Lengger is also used as a means of prayer and to honor the goddess of fertility, Lengger Lanang has been danced and performed for centuries. The birth of art in Banyumas comes from fertility during the planting season or harvest season. All of this is associated with the name Lengger Galungan and will always be involved in all the rituals of the event. Apart from being entertainment, it is also a means of praying. Lengger is considered a form of prayer request to the creator as a form of gratitude for the harvest.

                                 Mrs Halsall (Wellbeing) and Ms Neri (VM Learning Area Leader)