Princess Margaret Secondary embraces generosity with Vaisakhi celebration
Princess Margaret Secondary held its annual Vaisakhi celebration on Friday, featuring lively performances of bhangra dancing and music in celebration of the spring harvest in Indian cultures. The event is put on every year thanks to the generosity of many local businesses, community members and alumni. (Photos submitted by Pam Sandhu)
This past Saturday was Vaisakhi, and as schools across the district held numerous celebrations, Princess Margaret Secondary put on its annual event last week thanks to the generosity of community members, local businesses and alumni.
Vaisakhi is a traditional celebration of spring harvest in Indian cultures and holds a deep spiritual meaning for Sikhs and Hindus around the globe. The event is an opportunity for many Sikh and Hindu Canadians to embrace their ancestry and highlight their culture through vibrant festivities. At PM, it’s also a big part of the cultural identity of many of the school’s students and staff.
“I think that our school probably does the biggest celebration in the district,” said PM vice-principal Pam Sandhu. “There’s a big sense of pride within the school. They’re all celebrating together, no matter what grade, ethnicity, religious background – it’s a really powerful thing when you see them all come together to celebrate.”
“I started celebrating Vaisakhi in my classroom when I came to PM in 2009,” said Punjabi teacher Amandeep Chhina. “We just had a little celebration – everybody loved it, so the next year, we celebrated in the small gym. Then it got bigger and moved to the large gym. Every year, it keeps on getting bigger and bigger.”
But Vaisakhi at PM isn’t just a school celebration – it’s supported by many members of the community, with donations from graduates and business owners. Local groups took care of the food, drinks and cultural outfits for the event, and 2016 grad Jaskirat Bhanwer, also known as DJ LiftOff, provided the music for the day’s festivities.
“It’s all donated by our generous community, we don’t spend a single dollar on it,” said Chhina.
Last week’s celebration featured bhangra dance performances, traditional songs, cultural artifacts, henna and demonstrations of the martial art gatka. There was also a dance performance featuring about a dozen staff to entertain the students.
For Chhina’s Punjabi classes, Vaisakhi is a part of the curriculum, providing students opportunities to practice the language by speaking with local businesses for donations. They also raise money for the PMSS Cultural Punjabi Language Community Scholarship, which offers scholarships worth $500 to multiple students each year.
“All my students write a script and they make phone calls in Punjabi to local businesses,” she said. “It boosts their confidence when they can apply their speaking skills into real life situations.”
“It’s amazing how Ms. Chhina engages all of her Punjabi classes,” said Sandhu. “They all work really hard to put this together, it’s a huge undertaking and they do an amazing job of it. It really is a beautiful celebration here.”
Fraser Heights Secondary was one of many schools across the district that celebrated Vaisakhi last week.
In other parts of ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ and White Rock, schools hosted similar Vaisakhi celebrations to engage students in South Asian history and culture.
For example, Ray Shepherd Elementary hosted exploration stations to teach students about bhangra dancing, rangoli crafting, food sampling and traditional clothing. David Brankin Elementary also held celebrations, with !
Lots of secondary schools held events as well. The hosted lunch and after school celebrations, featuring delicious food, mouthwatering treats and a DJ, while the presented a Vaisakhi celebration filled with food, performances, music and mehndi body art.
The hosted its second annual Vaisakhi event, giving out free samosas and encouraging students to dress in their cultural clothing, and the organized two days of celebrations that featured food, music, henna and dance performances.
Happy Vaisakhi to those celebrating!
