What does Harmony Day celebrate?

Harmony Day is celebrated every year on the 21st March. On this day we reflect and acknowledge on how far we have come as Australians to build a mutlicutural comminies across the country.  This day is to bring all communities and cultures together to celebrate through festivals, local events with food and music. 

The message of Harmony day is to spread the word that everyone vkind and aims to respect cultural and religious diversity in the communities that we live in. 

When is Harmony Day celebrated?

Tuesday, 21 March

Activities – How to celebrate

• Invite the children to come dressed in orange (freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect) or in traditional dress that represents their culture.
• Host a mini festival welcoming children and parents to experience and enjoy traditional foods and music from around the world.  
• Learning to say 'Hello' and 'Thank you' in different languages used around the world. 
• Creating your own 'We Are One' or 'Harmony' posters to display around your centre.
• Displaying a world map for children to share where their families originated from and placing their name near the country on the map.
• Play music from around the world and learning traditional dance i.e. salso, dabke, folk dancing.
• Reading stories about children who live around the world or move around the world for a better living in multicultural communities. 
• Learning about the meaniing of immigration and the history of Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander.
• Learning how many immigrants have opened up many cafes and restaurants to share their love of their culture and foods to welcome communities to experience. 
• Welcome parents to come share stories about their culture through pictures, music, traditional dress for the children to engaged and learn.
• Display cultural flags around your centre. 

What does World Poetry Day celebrate?

World Poetry Day is a day we appreciate poesta and old traditional poetry recitals. The day is aimed to promote teaching of poetry, identify the difference form poetry and art forms such as dancing, music paintings and also focusing on literature. 

When is World Poetry Day celebrated?

Tuesday, 21 March

Activities:

• Grouptime - Reading and discussing children poety books such as; Read-Aloud Rhymes for the Very Young by Jack Prelutsky
• Watch a poetry reading / song.
• Learn and recite poems that rhyme with the children
• Singing children rhyming songs 
• As a class, create a mini poetry book with the children's input and suggestions to take home and share with their families. 
• Encourage the children to participate in rehearsing and performing a play 

What does World Down Syndrome Day celebrate?

World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated each year since 2011. This day was selected to signify the uniqueness and raise award of the triplication (trisomy) of the 21st chromosome which causes Down syndrome.

It's a day that raises awareness to promote discussion surrounding the acceptance of all our differnece and what make us unique indivaduals in many special ways.

When is World Down Syndrome Day celebrated?

Tuesday, 21 March

Activities:

• Provide an online training or face-to-face for educators to broadent heir knowledge, undertsanding and skills on how to work with children with disabilities, disccuss and learn inclusive topic and how to meaningfully include children with disabilities into their learning program and classroom. 
• Help raise funds and particiapte in the "Lots of Socks" campaign to donate to Down Syndrome Australia to assist with further research and treatments - https://www.downsyndrome.org.au/news-events/national-events-filter-by-s-t/lots-of-socks-2021/
• Invite the children to come dressed in blue and yellow and donate a gold coin.
• Plan a cooking experience for children to assist in baking blue and yellow cupcakes.
• Plan for group time to read "Taking Down Syndrome to School (Special Kids in School)" by Jenna Glatzer which can be purchased from the following link: https://www.amazon.com/Taking-Down-Syndrome-School-Special/dp/1891383191/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457411637&sr=1-1&keywords=taking+down+syndrome+to+school
• Learn and discuss information facts about what is Down Syndrome and what makes them so specia. Click the following for more information and resources: https://www.downsyndrome.org.au/?gclid=Cj0KCQiAs5eCBhCBARIsAEhk4r5OYAwjX6IiN3tAdlPEp-BNnc5zrbGajzaVPRyESCSA6z8HwPQqokUaAtNIEALw_wcB

What does French Language Day celebrate?

French Language Day raises awareness in the international community about the history and cutlure and the use of the language. 

There are six "Language Days" each year. The six language days are French, Russian, English, Arabic and Chinese. All are these days give us the opportunity to appreciate and learn more about the languages, culture and history from around the world. 

When is French Language Day celebrated?

Monday, 20 March

Activities:

• Learning how to say hello and basic words in French (Learn French for Kids - Numbers, Colors & More)
• Displaying the world map and learning about a differnet country each day; their language, traditional clothings, foods and culture.
• Inviting the children to come dressed in their traditional clothes and sharing what they do as a family and the language their family speak at home.
• Setting out cultural diversity children books in book corner for the children to read, learn and ask questions.
• Displaying flags from around the world around your centre. 
• Invite children to participate in cooking from a French translated cookbook.
• Learning and listening to songs in French. For Example: 
  

  Frere Jacques lyrics

  Frère Jacques, frère Jacques,
  Dormez-vous? Dormez-vous?
  Sonnez les matines! Sonnez les matines!
  Ding, dang, dong. Ding, dang, dong.

  The song is traditionally translated into English as:

  Are you sleeping? Are you sleeping?
  Brother John, Brother John,
  Morning bells are ringing! Morning bells are ringing!
  Ding, ding, dong. Ding, ding, dong.

What does International Day of Happiness celebrate?

International Day of Happiness is a global celebration that raises recognition of the relevance of happiness and well-being in our lives as human beings.

This day is to encourage people to do something for themselves to make them happy and a day to remember the importance of taking care of yourself, including your mental health.

When is International Day of Happiness celebrated?

Monday, 20 March

Activities:

• Read children stories about happiness and positive emotions.
• Group disucssion - Allow the children to express and share what makes them happy and excited.
• For infant and toodlers: Display pictures that express feelings and discuss why the people in the picture are happy.
• Have a day full of fun: Dancing, free play, ask the children to choose and suggest what activities they would like set out or what they would like to do. 
• Have a picnic at a local park
• Invite and encourage to express their happiness through illustration: drawing and painting. 
• Organising a staff outing to show appreciation of their hard work and that their input into the business is recognised.