Forest Crescent’s Harmony Day celebration was scheduled for Thursday 19th March. We were to have a whole school assembly and join with the Year 3, Room 22 in singing “Everyone Belongs”.
In preparation the students had spent the previous three weeks writing and designing their Harmony Day hands to be as individual as they are. On their hands they wrote five things they are really good at, and five things they would like to learn from others on the other side. This activity was designed to help the students see that harmony is created when we share out gifts and talents with others and we welcome others to share their gifts and talents with us.
Unforeseeably, the rules were changed on Monday that week by the Education Department and we had to cancel the whole school assembly. I decided that if we can’t have the whole school assembly as planned we would film Room 22 performing their item and have the students watch the assembly in their classrooms at the designated assembly time.
The filming of the assembly went well, and I would like to thank Molly and Felix, who stepped up at very short notice and wrote out their compere’s notes on the spot. Also thank you to Tait for operating the music and to Ava and Elsie for working the camera.
On Thursday morning it was so wonderful to see many students had come to school in their cultural dress or in orange, which is the symbolic colour of Harmony Day. Students watched the Harmony Day assembly in their classrooms and sang along and waved their Harmony Day hands.
Mr Mason’s Year 6 class went around and photographed the students with their Harmony Day hands. One of the deputies commented to me that it was a really nice atmosphere to be walking around the school at that time, hearing everyone singing the Harmony Day song from their classroom.
Given all the work Room 22 had put into their item, and all the effort every student made to finish their Harmony Day hands I was so glad to come up with an alternative so that we could still celebrate Harmony Day and show everyone that Forest Crescent is truly a harmonious place to be.
Rebekah Britten
Music Specialist
Harmony Day Gallery 2020
Forest Crescent PS Harmony Day 2020
