MCS Language and Culture Week

Our students have been busy getting ready for this year’s Language and Culture Week which takes place 15th-19th April.

All First and Second Year tutorials have been working in groups to produce ‘country profiles’ of each of the nationalities represented in our school at this time. These are being completed under the guidance of their RE and CSPE teachers, assisted by pairs of Transition Year students who volunteered for the role. These profiles will be displayed around the school next week.

The MCS Olympics began on Monday and has continued through the week although preparations began before the Easter holidays. Members of the TY GCE class had divided every tutorial in the school into groups and assigned one of the countries represented in our school to each group. They then planned activities for PE lessons whereby countries within each tutorial would compete against each other. Points would be awarded for badminton and basketball competition and a relay race.

Under the guidance of our PE teachers, Ms Fitzgerald and Ms de Burca, a group of TY students have been running the MCS Olympics this week. In addition, a chess tournament open to all students has been taking place. Again, students are competing for their country. The country that accumulates the most points from this and from the other sporting activities in the school will receive winners medals, as they would in the real Olympics.

Preparations are underway for the other activities to be held during Language and Culture Week. A highlight will be the Celebration of Culture and Inclusion which will take place on Thursday 18th April from 7pm in the school library/canteen. This will be a chance to recognise and celebrate the different countries and cultures that are represented in our school. It will feature song, dance, music, poetry and the chance to sample food from many different countries. We will welcome special guest Dr Manizha Khan. DR Khan and her family are originally from Afghanistan. She is a dentist by profession. In fact, she was the dean of a dental school in the city of Herat in Afghanistan but she and her family fled to Ireland because her family’s life was under threat from the regime in the country. Apart from being a dentist in Cork she is also a School of Sanctuary Ambassador and we are delighted she will be able to join us. A large number of students will be involved in the Culture and Inclusion Night. The event is open to the public and you are warmly welcomed to come along and join us for what is sure to be a memorable night.

Chris Horan