Last Friday, students at Northampton Academy took part in a series of exciting challenges from home, where they celebrated different cultures from around the world as part of a special ‘My Culture Day’.
As a School of Character, Northampton Academy is committed to giving its students access to opportunities where they can learn more about the importance of respect, tolerance and neighbourliness. This is why, throughout the distance learning period, students have been taking part in the Academy’s innovative ‘Character at Home’ programme, which last week included this day of cultural learning.
After the success of last year’s inaugural ‘My Culture Day’, the staff at the academy were determined to ensure this year’s event could still go ahead. And so, they created a special two-part programme for students across the school to enjoy virtually. Under the theme ‘Divided but United!’, students were asked to complete a ‘Make a Difference at Home’ challenge and a ‘One World Together’ challenge.
For the first challenge, students researched and learnt about how different people across the world have been making a difference during this difficult time. They then chose and carried out some activities of their own which would have a positive impact either on their family and friends, the local community or the environment.
For the ‘One World Together’ challenge, students were encouraged to wear dress that represents their culture and take the opportunity to learn more about different foods, literature and cultural figures across the globe. This part of the day was designed to help students strengthen their understanding of the diversity of people and practices around the world, and celebrate their differences as well as their similarities.
Students Patryck and Wiktoria took the opportunity to dress in customary Polish clothing. Patryck donned an outfit traditionally worn by men in Poland on special occasions, whilst Wiktoria dressed in vibrant folk clothes dominated by bright colours and complex patterns. Joining in the celebrations, Spanish teacher, Gabriela Alonso, also wore a traditional flamenco outfit for the day and shared an array of resources on the Spanish culture, including poems, dance, interactive posters and traditional recipes.
Throughout the day, students shared photos and videos of the activities they took part in. These were shared by the school on their website and social media channels giving students the chance to join together and share the experience virtually.
Nat Parnell, Principal of Northampton Academy, said:
“As well as ensuring our students have the skills and knowledge they need to achieve highly in the classroom, we are committed to developing our young people into well-rounded and respectful members of the local and global community. This is what we call delivering an Education with Character and is why we hold events like our ‘My Culture Day’.
“My Culture Day has always been a strong part of our celebration of culture and even though we are currently somewhat divided, it remains very important to our community. It was fantastic to see so many of our students take part in this year’s virtual celebration and showcase the diversity of cultures we have within the Academy.“