School community celebrates Eid together

FAMILIES joined pupils and parents at a Fishponds primary school to celebrate Eid.

Minerva Primary Academy in Hillfields also invited ex-pupils and visitors from the wider community for its own celebration of the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Children put on their best party clothes, families brought in food to share and there was music from staff and pupils who had been practising specially for the event, which took place a few days after the religious holiday in April.

Muslim pupils showed how they pray to help give their classmates an insight into their culture.

Assistant principal Sarah Campagnaro said: "We loved coming together as a community to celebrate Eid.

"It was such a special occasion, filled with smiling Minerva children, families and visitors like Imam Ashraf, ex-pupils and grandparents.

"Highlights were a performance from our Year 4 and 5 children learning the violin and viola, music provided by our own Miss

Ali, food and drink sourced by the Friends of Minerva from local businesses such as Lona Grill, and our own mini Mecca complete with prayer mats where children demonstrated how they pray.

"The best thing of all, though, was hearing the comments from the parents who shared how excited their children were to come to school in their Eid clothes and how much they appreciated the opportunity to share their celebrations and culture with the whole school community."