This year marked the 11th Annual Harmony Day in Central Okanagan Public Schools. Around the district, events took place on February 21 to celebrate the opportunity to recognize and encourage respect for all the members of the community.
The theme ‘Resilience’ had students from all around our district realizing that we all experience resilience and are resilient towards so much that comes our way. The power of resilience is a symbol of strength and diversity that can overcome all.
Resilience definition in English, French and Okanagan Languages. This message was also found on t-shirts and posters
The Harmony Day committee planned activities, and organized new resources that were sent out to schools to use on Harmony Day. The resources include a variety of books for the schools to add to their library collection. Educators and students use the website www.harmonyday.ca to assist with their planning and navigating resources for the occasion. As well, a Living Library conference for 150 Middle School students took place just before Harmony Day. Students had the opportunity to visit four ‘books’ throughout the day. The exciting part is that the 20 ‘books’ were people from the community who presented their story to the students, hence the name ‘Living Library’. Invited guests shared their oral stories, which enabled the students to understand and respect the diversity in the community. Having the event before Harmony Day allowed the participating students to plan activities to take back to their schools and implement.
Harmony Day Living Library conference for Middle School students on January 30th
The variety of assemblies, events, and projects that took place around the district for Harmony Day was astounding. Students, Staff and families have taken pride in this annual event that allows everyone to belong within a diverse community. If you would like further information on Harmony day, please contact Leigh-Ann Yanow at leigh-ann.yanow@sd.bc.ca