Celebrating Diversity: Embracing the Rich Tapestry of Culture in Our School and Community!

The Mana Prefects at Waimate High School are Abbie Joyce and Jashlie Gascon. As the 2024 Mana Prefects, we are organising a variety of activities that celebrate and showcase the diverse cultures within the school and community. We are planning a cultural week that will include cultural traditional food tasting, multicultural fashion and much more! Our Cultural Week will be celebrated during International Languages Week from 10th to 14th of June. We think it's a great opportunity to learn, appreciate and experience different cultures, and understand the diversity in our school.

So, in the lead up to Culture Week at WHS, we got together yesterday for a photo op to acknowledge the United Nations’ International Mother Language Day! International Mother Language Day celebrates diversity and understanding of other cultures through multilingualism and multiculturalism. Did you know that there are 7,139+ languages in the world? In New Zealand, there are over 160 languages spoken, and we have three official languages - English, Te Reo Māori, and Sign.

Tōku reo, tōku ohooho. Tōku reo, tōku māpihi maurea

My language is my awakening, my language is the window to my soul.