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Celebration of Unity in Diversity at SMM

International Day celebration

was held with much zest at SMM

on March 24, 2016, with the theme

‘LET US CELEBRATE PEACE

AND UNITY IN DIVERSITY’. The

students and staff of SMM put up a

cultural show that brought to fore

the rich heritage of the different

nations that are represented by the demography of the school population.

The programme began with a procession of a group of students from different

countries offering a candle of peace to the music of ‘One More Gift’. It was followed by a

chorus song ‘Malo-Malo’. This was followed by a medley of dance performances from

the different nations by the students and staff.

The stage was set by the performance of the students and teachers representing

the UAE and other Arab countries like Egypt, Syria, Lebanon etc. The rhythmic

traditional Arab dance of the men and women, along with an introduction to the Arab

world, was enjoyed by all.

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Second came Sri Lanka,

a country also described as a

tropical paradise. The staff

and students put up a

humourous act in their dance

while portraying a typical rural

scene of the country.

The next presenters were

representatives from the UK. As expected,

they mesmerized the audience with their

traditional and modern dance

forms. The present day hits by

Adele and One Direction brought

on a huge uproar of applause

from the audience.

Next in line were the representatives of

Pakistan who evoked the essence of the country

through their dance to the song ‘Dil Dil’.

This was followed by a medley of Indian dances like the Bhangra, Bharatnatyam

and contemporary, made colourful and attractive by the staff and students of SMM ,

dancing to a string of Bollywood hits.

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Next, the students and staff

of SMM from Zimbabwe,

Kenya, Nigeria and Ethiopia won

the hearts of the audience with

their freestyle, very typical

rhythmic movements. The

swinging audience cheered and kept

beat with the performers in

appreciation of the music from the

African continent. During the show,

one student from Ukraine also

shared information about

the country.

The finale was presented by the staff and students of SMM from the Philippines,

also known as the Pearl of the Orient Seas. They had acts representing the three most

famous islands of their country. The crowd broke into a tumultuous cheer with the

performers bringing the culture of the country to life.

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This spectacular event provided an opportunity for everyone to get a glimpse of

the unique cultural features of each country. The message that this world is made

beautiful by its different kinds of people- their ways and lifestyles, their music and

dances, their languages and food – was brought home to each and every member of

SMM.

The second attraction of the day was the Easter Egg Hunt organized by the

Principal, Mr. Derrick Duggan for the students of SMM. They were thrilled to discover

the eggs after following a trail of clues and were seen to enjoy every bit of the treat!

With this celebration of International Day at SMM, everyone was happy to not

only be reminded of his or her own cultural heritage, but also to be sharing the cultures

of his or her friends. /JRT