The Lakeside community came together to celebrate Uniting Nations Week on 16-23 November. This week long cultural extravaganza consisted of cultural performances from all corners of the globe, a food festival for IB risk-takers, and the Parade of Nations, a celebration of our collective cultural pride.
The week kicked off with cultural performances, choreographed by students, illustrating the uniqueness of a collection of different countries and cultures around the world. Costumes were bright and colourful, dance moves and music was rhythmic, and students and staff cheered.
The tastiest celebration of the week was the Food Festival. Organised by our PTA and parent volunteers, this year’s festival showcased delicacies from 40 nations. But the Food Festival is not just about the food: Spanish paella to Swiss cheese and sausages, French macarons to Indonesian satays, Canadian sweets to Japanese sushi! It is about risk-taking, as you try a new dish, and learn a little about that culture. There was a charitable element to the food festival as we worked together to give back to the local community, with monetary and food donations going to the Singapore Food Bank.
The week concluded with a memorable finale, the Parade of Nations, which was streamed to family and friends around the globe. The entire student community enjoyed a musical performance by the Secondary Symphonic Band, a visit from an enormous red-capped crane (a symbol of peace and unity), and 82 nations marching around the gym. The Dikir Barat Group (students) from neighbouring school, Fuhua Secondary, put on a fabulous Malay music performance. The week was brought to a close with a speech by Head of School, Dr. Glenn Odland, reminding us of the week’s purpose: our commitment to a world united in peace.
Together, we are CIS.United!