Portadown: 17 fab photos as Hart Memorial PS celebrates diversity with first Culture Day

The event provided an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the wonderful diversity within the school community. Alongside its own local culture and traditions, Hart Memorial is proud to have 18 other cultures from across the world represented within the school.

The celebration also marked another important milestone in Hart Memorial’s journey as a ‘Rights Respecting School’. Following work undertaken throughout the 2025/26 academic year, the school was delighted to achieve the UNICEF Rights Respecting Schools Award Bronze: Rights Committed status. Now in the second year of its Rights Respecting Schools journey, Hart Memorial is working towards the Silver Award, with the longer-term goal of achieving Gold status in June 2028.

Supporting this work is the school’s Rights Respecting Schools Group called ‘Rights Warriors’, made up of 16 pupils, with representation from nursery through to primary seven. The group meets monthly with RRS co-ordinator Mrs Lee and plays an important role in promoting children’s rights and helping to move the school’s Rights Respecting Schools work forward.

For Culture Day, every class was allocated a country or culture to explore and celebrate. Nursery represented Spain, P1 Hungary, P2 Northern Ireland, P3 Romania, P4 Poland, P5 Lithuania, P6 France and P7 Portugal. Pupils were also encouraged to wear an item of clothing connected with their class country. The day began with a special whole-school assembly, where principal, Mr Frizzell welcomed the children and shared the exciting news of the school’s Bronze Rights Committed Award. Mrs Lee then introduced the theme of Culture Day before a packed programme of music and dance performances began.

Hart Memorial pupils Theodore Adams (P6G), Tommy Wright (P3F) and Lara Wright (P7C), who attend Portadown Irish Dance Academy, delighted the audience with performances of both a heavy jig and a light dance. They were followed by a graceful ballet performance from Annie Stewart (P5M), Isabella Robinson (P3C) and Edie Ashe (P4AW), who attend Portadown Dance College. Scottish piper Ryan Gilmore, from the Tyrone Ditches Pipe Band, delivered a stirring musical performance, while Portuguese and African dancers from the So Pa Sabi Dance Group and Presentation Primary School captivated the audience with their energetic and vibrant routines.

County Armagh Drum Major Holly Gracey also showcased her exceptional talent. Holly is the reigning All-Ireland Champion, Ulster Champion and Northern Ireland Champion of Champions. The audience was also treated to a performance by talented Scottish dancer Faith Copeland, from the Ulster Scots Cultural and Community Group in Markethill. The assembly concluded with a special performance of the poem Many Cultures, One World! with the children joining together to share its message of unity, respect and belonging.

Unfortunately, representatives from the Polish Association of Culture and Tradition, Monika Krekora and “Lupek” Sławomir Lubkiewicz, were unable to attend due to illness, but the school hopes to welcome them on another occasion. The celebrations continued throughout the day, with pupils from Nursery to P7 taking part in music and art activities, learning about different countries and cultures and enjoying the opportunity to sample foods from around the world.

Parents and members of the local community were also invited to join the celebrations at a special Culture Day Coffee Morning. The Assembly Hall was filled with visitors who enjoyed a wonderful selection of traditional treats, provided by the parents, representing Northern Ireland, Lithuania, Africa, Bulgaria, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Sweden, East Timor and France. The event created a warm and vibrant atmosphere, bringing together pupils, families, staff and the wider community to celebrate what makes each culture unique while recognising the values and experiences that unite everyone.

Culture Day was a wonderful celebration of the growing diversity within Hart Memorial and reflected the school’s continuing commitment to ensuring that every child feels welcomed, respected, valued and that they belong.