LVS Ascot – International Day Gives Pupils A Taste Of Culture
10 May 2016
Pupils at LVS Ascot were given a taste of foreign cultures on Friday 15th April when the school held International Day. The event provided students with the opportunity to enjoy displays of traditional dance, a wide range of international food, attend fourteen different worldwide workshops and raise money for charity at the same time.
International boarding pupils at the non-selective all-ability school for children aged 4 to 18 managed the innovative project, with the student International Committee voting for all proceeds from the day, generated by allowing students to attend school in international dress or non-uniform, to go to Medecins Sans Frontieres which provides emergency aid worldwide. The committee also led a special school assembly to talk about their own cultures and the challenges faced when experiencing new cultures for the first time.
The day quite literally featured a worldwide flavour with the school’s catering partner Sodexo laying on a wide selection of world food stations, with curries from India, paella from Spain, Italian options and more, along with Great Britain represented by fish and chips. This was much to the delight of students who were able to sample a whole range of foreign foods throughout the day.
Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated aspect of International Day was a steel pan band demonstration to a packed theatre of children, with audience members invited on stage to learn and perform at the same time to their peers under expert tutelage. Performances drew large rounds of applause and there was no shortage of enthusiastic students keen to take on the challenge and learn a new skill.
Fourteen educational workshops took place throughout the day, allowing some students to take the lead and practice presenting – the Taiwanese workshop was led by a boarding student from Taiwan – and others to learn new things about cultures worldwide. The film workshop provided a fascinating analysis of international movies to examine how they convey humour, whilst the sports department gave pupils the chance to try games that are an integral part of other cultures, such as American Football.
Principal of LVS Ascot Christine Cunniffe said: “We have a thriving boarding community here with lots of worldwide knowledge brought into the school by our international residents, so it seemed only right to give our students the chance to be inspired and learn from each other in a celebration of all backgrounds. As a school we are always keen to give responsibility to pupils, and they have taken the opportunity brilliantly to ensure their fellow students – and teachers – have learned a lot from today”.
Photo: Students and teachers at LVS Ascot in international dress to raise money for Medecins Sans Frontieres