Year 6

Everyone Belongs – Celebrating Harmony Day and Learning from Waves

In Year 6 we celebrate Harmony Day as a time to recognise and appreciate the diverse backgrounds, cultures, and stories that make up our community. The theme "Everyone Belongs" reminds us that no matter where we come from, we all have a place where we are valued and respected. This idea has been beautifully explored in our mentor text Waves by Donna Rawlins, which tells the stories of different children throughout history who have travelled across the sea in search of safety and belonging. Through this text, our students have gained a deeper understanding of resilience, empathy, and the importance of welcoming others with kindness.

In Waves, Donna Rawlins uses powerful illustrations and simple yet moving text to show the experiences of children migrating across the sea throughout history. Each child’s journey is different—some travel by choice, while others flee hardship—but they all share the hope of finding a safe and welcoming place to belong. This story helps students understand the challenges faced by migrants and refugees, encouraging them to think about the importance of kindness, inclusion, and respect. By connecting these experiences to our own lives, we can better appreciate the importance of creating a school and community where everyone feels valued and accepted.

As part of our Rights, Responsibilities and Respectful Relationships program, we are also learning about our emotions and how to support each other. Just like the characters in Waves, everyone experiences challenges, but by showing respect and understanding, we help each other feel safe and included. Through discussions, stories, and activities, students are continuing to develop the skills to build positive relationships and embrace the differences that make our school a special place. By celebrating Harmony Day and learning about emotions and respect, we reinforce the message that everyone belongs.

Some of our students had this to say about Waves and Harmony Day:

"Waves is about different people coming to Australia, whether free-settlers, convicts, or as refugees. All are welcome...but not all make it here. Some stories are intriguing and happy, but others include sickness, poverty and sadness. The variety of stories really opened my eyes to the history of Australian migration and made me want to learn more." - Will McGeoch (6B) 

"Harmony day is important because you get to celebrate and understand all the cultures that make up Australia." - Olivia Anson (6B)

"Harmony Day is important because it makes everyone feel like they belong and have a sense of comfort and security" - Summer Trakal (6C)

Students created Harmony day globes where they explained how we can celebrate our similarities and differences. The Year 6 students also created 'Everybody Belongs' badges for their Foundation buddies to wear on Friday. These badges also included a personalised note on the back from their Year 6 buddy to show that our new Foundation students belong at Cheltenham Primary School.