Millthorpe School celebrated the many different cultures within its school community this week, hosting its first ever Culture Day.
On the day, students and staff were invited to wear traditional dress to celebrate their culture or they could design a badge to wear which represented their culture. They also learnt about the 21 different languages that make up our school community and students had a go at learning some new words. Foods from around the world were available at lunchtime giving everyone an opportunity to try a cuisine they may not have eaten before. Students also experienced different cultures at a dance drop-in session on the day.
At lunchtime, further cultural opportunities were available for students including: a Cyrillic script writing workshop, a henna station where they could create their own design, watching ‘An Alien in Paris’, engaging in a conversation in French and browsing the mobile library which contained a range of fiction and non-fiction books from different cultures.
One of the highlights of the day for Year 9 students was a talk from Keranjeet Kaur Virdee MBE, creative producer, artistic director, cultural broker and CEO of South Asian Arts UK. She has shaped the organisation’s cultural offer so that its imaginative programming reflects the rich cultural tapestry of the UK, with the very best of classical and contemporary South Asian music and dance at its core. Keranjeet was awarded an MBE in 2023 and in October 2024, she was recognised as one of four-hundred inspirational women whose names are in the ‘Ribbon’ Sculpture in Leeds.
Miss Boyd, Assistant Principal at Millthorpe School said “With over a thousand students in our school and more than a hundred staff, we wanted to celebrate the rich cultural mix at Millthorpe. Seeing students and staff proudly showcasing their heritage through traditional dress, language, and food was truly inspiring. The level of engagement in the different workshops and opportunities, the enthusiasm for learning new languages and the knowledge we have all take away, highlights the importance of embracing different cultures. It was a wonderful day of learning, sharing, and coming together as a community.
“A huge thank you to everyone who got involved – we all learned so much!”
Millthorpe School belongs to Excel Learning Trust alongside York High School, Inspire Academy, Carr Junior School and Knavesmire, Scarcroft and Woodthorpe Primary Schools.
28 March 2025
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