On Wednesday the 9th of October, the Juniors had an astounding day dressing up in attire that originates from their home country and celebrate their true culture. It’s incredible to know that NES has students from all over the world: Japan, India, Russia and Venezuela are just a few of the countries the pupils have come from. We also had a chance to sample food from numerous cuisines, travelling far and wide without leaving our own classrooms. Ms Jacobs, who is the Deputy Head of the Juniors, remarked, “I thought the costumes were incredible and it was a wonderful celebration of all the cultures that make NES so special.”
The corridors was packed with students, explosions of colour were present everywhere as soon as the pupils left their classrooms. Pupils flaunted their national dresses in various shapes, sizes, and colours, which was a pleasure for all to see. There were thawbs and kimonos as well as t-shirts with flags on them, as many of the children (including me) were proud and excited to show some of their country’s culture. Mariam Yousef, a student in 5.2, commented,
“It was really fun. I wore an Egyptian dress with Egyptian symbols. The other clothes were all so colourful and looked really traditional.”
During the day, people from different year groups with exquisite outfits were chosen to be in a photo and they held up signs representing the individuality of their home countries. This picture is now framed and hung in the stairway leading to the Hall so it can be admired by pupils and teachers alike. The teachers have taken photos of their own classes, who all looked phenomenal.
In Arabic for Foreigners, the students were asked to create presentations about their home country, including simple sentences about money, flag colours, and much more. But of course, it was all in Arabic, which improved the children’s reading and writing skills.
Second break was certainly a highlight of the day: there was an ice-cream sale in which a massive number of students partook in. There were superb stick ice-creams and creamy chocolatey cones. In fact, the line was as long as the width of the yard and thicker than a brick wall!
In school, the children got a taste of places north and south… literally! Pupils brought traditional food from their countries, which were relished throughout the day, that included foods both savoury and sweet. Tarts, falafel, biscuits and more were enjoyed by the staff and students, and it was a new experience to be tasting such a large variety of food.
International Day gives us all a chance to showcase how unique we are. NES is filled with diversity, if we just take the effort to look for it! As well as being an enjoyable experience, International Day helps us all become even more of global citizens. We are all so different, yet we are all one.
