Swan Valley Anglican Community School

SWAN VALLEY ANGLICAN COMMUNITY SCHOOL

HARMONY DAY BUDDIES

With more than 40 nationalities represented at Swan Valley Anglican Community School, Harmony Day is always a special day in the calendar.

Principal Melissa Powell said Swan Valley was fortunate to have such a diverse and inclusive school community, with families coming a wide variety of countries from India to Tanzania to Peru.

“Harmony Day is a celebration of inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone,” Ms Powell said.

“This year, with the central message of ‘Everyone Belongs’, students and staff wore orange, the official colour of Harmony Day, traditional dress, or something that represented their cultural heritage,” she said.

Students from Kindy to Year 12 joined together on Harmony Day for a fun shared activity as part of the Buddy Program. Primary students are paired with their Secondary student buddies with the goal of developing relationships between the younger and older students, enhancing the sense of a friendly, warm and supportive school community.

Ms Powell said Buddy Programs weren’t just beneficial for younger students but helped older students understand how important they were, as an individual and within their school context. On Harmony Day, SVACS buddy pairs coloured cutouts of individual people which were then collected and joined together to create a chain of united people. Buddy pairs then made multi-coloured friendship braids to be worn as Harmony Bracelets.

Swan Valley Anglican Community School families are from all around the world.

Australia, Bahrain , Bangl ad esh , B o tswana, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia , Denmark , E g y p t, Eng land, Ethiopia, S France, Ghana , India , Irel and , K e n y a, Ma laysia, Mauritius , New Zealand , Peru , Ph i l ip p i n e s, Q atar, Romania, Russian Federation , S au d i A r a b ia, Scotland, Seychelles, ingapore , South Af r i c a , Sr i Lanka, Switzerland, Tanzania , Thail and , Ug a n da, Un ite d Arab Emirates, United Kingdom , United Stat es of A m e r ica, Viet Nam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.