ICYMI Saint Mary’s Academy is a small school by many standards but possibly the biggest school by others. We have close to 40 different ethnicities and cultures represented within our building. Students hail from five of seven world continents (we’re missing Australia and Antarctica but give us a minute and they will come) throughout the student population from Kindergarten through Grade 12.
From February 26 through March 1, we celebrated our diversity with inclusive activities such as ‘dress as your home country’ day, diversity quilts produced by each class, played games popular in some of our represented countries, held a potluck supper with so many delicacies from so many countries, had a question of the day with prizes for the randomly selected winning answers, designed a welcome wall in some (note I said some!) of the languages spoken in the building, and of course the flag naming contest! How well do you think you would do? We have Grade 1 students who can identify almost half of the world flags! Oi! Impressive!
We hope our students felt seen and heard and treasured. Our hearts (and bellies after that amazing potluck) are full.
See below for the photo dump:
Our WELCOME wall!Miss Betty looking gorg and her equally impressive companions.Grade 2 shows off some Brazil Canada and Kazakhstan!When you’re proud of where you are from it shows!SMA dollars for the fabulous outfit!They really don’t come any cuter than this, do they?Canada, Madagascar and Cameroons! Grade 7!Peru and Kazakhstan!Democratic Republic of CONGO!!Grade 6 sampling includes Algeria, MMFN and Cameroons!Madagascar, Philippines, Kazakhstan, and Cameroons! Just a few from Grade 9.The intricacies of embroidery displayed.Prizes available! Grade 1 Diversity quilt. Hand drawn and coloured by Miss Hollins class. Impressive! These people are 6 years old!Grade 11 diversity quilt. Well done!Getting organized for elementary games takes a minute 🙂Everybody is ready to play!Grade K-2 play Soleil.A game of good old musical chairs to get everyone excited. They look calm but when the music stopped it was every person for themselves! Also note our flags along the ceiling, one for every country, and it makes us absolutely gleeful to have to order 5 more!!!!The winners of the very competitive musical chairs game. These kids don’t fool around.Some happy partakers of the many many dishes at our potluck. The foods lined the cafeteria perimeter. We had to squish them all in. Herring under a fur coat! So good and right beside the traditional NB baked beans. Ukrainian giggles and traditional outfits posed in front of our map of the world coloring board.
If you want to travel to different countries and never leave the city, come. Join us. Up here on the hill. With the big sky above we are still the little school with the big heart. We’re waiting for you with open arms.
