Cultural diversity celebrated

HARMONY: Eliza Tidy (front), Declan Uphill and Shelby Mason are excited to celebrate cultural diversity as part of Harmony Day next week. They will show the community what the day means to them by tying ribbons with messages to the fence at the Domain Playground.
HARMONY: Eliza Tidy (front), Declan Uphill and Shelby Mason are excited to celebrate cultural diversity as part of Harmony Day next week. They will show the community what the day means to them by tying ribbons with messages to the fence at the Domain Playground.

A CELEBRATION of cultural diversity and uniqueness will see the Millicent community unite next week.

Initiated by McArthur Park Kindergarten teacher, Tracy Phillips, the Harmony Day event will take place on March 21 at the Domain Playground and centres on the message “everyone belongs”.

It will be the largest Harmony Day ceremony held in Millicent to date and will see school students, kindergarten children, community members and organistations band together.

“Harmony Day is about celebrating diversity and uniqueness and respecting our differences,” Ms Phillips said.

“It is a way of developing children’s sense of identity, community and helps them realise that we might all be different on the outside but we are the same on the inside.”

In the lead-up to the event, kindergarten and primary school students have been learning a dance under the guidance of Millicent High School child studies students.

The dance to the Pharrell Williams song “Happy” was choreographed by the high school students.

“The high school students came to the sites to teach the children the dance steps,” Ms Phillips said.

“It gives them a real purpose and is all about bringing everyone together – everyone jumped on board.”

While the agenda for the ceremony is still to be finalised, there will be a sing-a-long to “Beautiful Rainbow”, a combined recess and a march.

Each learning site will discuss what Harmony Day means to them, delivering their message in a unique way by drawing their messages on strips of fabric and tying them to the fence at the playground.

They will also be creating a banner with hand prints with the Millicent Public Library.

“The event is all about bringing the sites and community together,” Ms Phillips said.

“It’s a sense of belonging and connectivity.

“It has the potential to be a lot bigger, it will be good if we can get the ball rolling.”