Kia ora, talofa lava, bonjour, hola, ciao, مرحبًا, 你好, こんにちは, 안녕하세요, kumusta, and hello everyone. On Tuesday this week, we had our annual school cultural day to celebrate the wonderful diversity of OGHS. 

The theme for cultural day this year is “Culture: We all have one”. Sometimes in New Zealand, when people hear the word culture, they think it only applies to those who are not white and ethnically related to the Western world. However, the truth is, culture is universal, and it can be seen in every corner of our lives. Whatever your heritage may be, you carry your culture with you. It shapes who you are and how you see the world.

During assembly, we had Renata Herrera Rojas, a law and global studies student, who is also an alumni of OGHS, come in to talk to us about treasuring our cultures. Afterwards, we had amazing cultural performances and cultural dishes potluck in the hall at lunchtime. We also had a photobooth running, which many students thoroughly enjoyed. Cultural day was a great experience for many to express and feel more connected to their cultures.