This February marked our first International Mother Language Day. 21st February - every year - is set aside by the United Nations to observe Mother Language Day - so we thought it was time that we joined in!
According to the United Nations: “An essential factor in harmonious communication among peoples and an enabler of multilateral diplomacy, multilingualism is of particular importance to the United Nations.”
Luckily for us, the theme this year was 'multilingual education' - with nearly 50 languages represented at ISH, this is a theme that is close to all of our hearts!
In the secondary, we decided to base our activities around a 'treasure hunt'. Thanks to our amazing parent community, we were able to represent over 20 languages. Students had to hunt all over the school building to find out greetings and key words in all of these different languages. It was terrific to see all of these languages come alive for our students.
One of the highlights for all of us was the involvement of all the PYP students, who were chaperoned by Grade 10 students as they hunted for clues.
Our very own AV Club made a lovely impression video of the day:
Our primary students were treated to a full day of activities. The first 'My Languages Day', as it is called in the primary, was a great success and very much enjoyed by both students and staff!:
The PYP students thoroughly enjoyed the My Languages Day. The day began with students choosing to listen to stories in a variety of languages. It was such a pleasure to have so many parents and guardians offering up their precious time to join our PYP family. The parents read books in their home languages and it was wonderful to see our students captivated as they listened.
The afternoon was used to celebrate our international community. Parents, grandparents, family members and friends joined us for the last 2 hours of the school day. They set up stands where students could learn about the various cultures and languages. It was wonderful to see the pride as students saw their culture, language represented and many joined parents in sharing information with their peers. There were posters, music, food, dancing, maps, crafts, games and so much more. Watching the various stall organisers engaging with each other and learning from each other was very special.
It will go down as a day in which, by the action of our extended Hilversum community, wonderful learning opportunities were created. Ones which we hope will be embedded in the memory of our students and volunteers for years to come.
