At ICS we welcome and value diversity. In that spirit, we celebrated our 15th Annual United Nations Day (UN Day) on Friday, November 4. UN Day is a celebration of various cultural and ethnic communities, and this year 63 different countries we represented on the Parade of Nations, along with “The World”. Students and staff walked along Medlock Road showcasing clothes, flags and signs, as family members and friends waved and enjoyed the the smiles and excitement. As it is already a tradition, the parade was lead by Mr. Wilson and his drumming group: Yona, Landry, Kamau, Sansi, Parsa, Gad, Jamila, Linda, Shadia, Chamaur, Carrington, Mr. Charles.
As the celebration moved to the back of the school, the masters of ceremony (Destiny Johnson, Linda Uwase and Kamau Tinsley) introduced our Principal, Mr. Velde-Cabrera, who welcomed the audience with a moving speech: “…Our founders knew that the more we can expose our students, faculty, and parents to individuals who are different, the more we do our small part to create a world characterized by peace and justice. If you turn on the news, you see and hear a lot of racism, stereotypes, and biases. We, at ICS, are writing our own story, showing the world that we all belong and can make a positive difference…”
Students opened the program talking about the IB Learner Profile: they explained what it means to be Inquirers, Knowledgeable, Thinkers, Communicators, Principled, Open-minded, Caring, Risk-takers, Balanced, and Reflective, traits that we work on every day.
They were followed by groups of kids who sang in French, Spanish and English. Inspirational songs such as “Together We Can Change The World”, “Man In The Mirror”, “Ready To Go” and “True Colors” were performed.
Traditional Burmese, Mexican, African and Indian dances energized and impressed the audience.
And what better way to show internationalism than through food and fellowship. Children and adults brought traditional dishes from their family/country: What a feast!
Thank you to all the staff members, students, families and volunteers who made this day possible.
We loved to have so many of our alumni come back to celebrate with us. Special thanks to those who helped where needed.
