“Knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom.” Roger Bacon
Last week we celebrated and embraced Kolbe’s cultural diversity in our Languages Week celebrations.
We began the week with a PC quiz, and the team from Kingston’s Kitchens in the cafeteria highlighted different cuisines of the world each day – including Japanese and Italian. Students who placed their order in the language of the day won a small prize.
The WLC put together a display that included a tribute to the Tanabata festival.
Here is a short explanation: According to Japanese legend, Tanabata celebrates the yearly meeting of the stars, Vega and Altair, who are usually separated by the Milky Way. Legend has it that these two stars are really a prince and princess who were forbidden to be together by their parents. If you are lucky enough to see the stars together during Tanabata, your wish may come true! Students were encouraged to write a wish on tanzaku strips in their mother language, or the language they are studying, and hang them on the bamboo branches and trellis as part of the display.
The Languages classes were involved in cultural activities, such as origami, Venetian mask making, and minecraft competitions. The Year 9 and 10 Japanese students were treated to Japanese knot making and sword demonstrations. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm shown by the students involved.
The Languages Team thanks the Kolbe Catholic College community in helping us celebrate Languages Week and fostering the spirit of multiculturalism in action.
