By Jonty Ralphsmith
Harkaway Primary School celebrated global school play day on Wednesday 2 February.
It is the fourth consecutive year that the school of 120 kids has run the day and it is always a great way to christen the new school year according to principal Leigh Johnson.
“There’s so much noise the beginning of the day – the energy, the excitement, the engagement and curiosity, activity and exploration is what I love,” Mr Johnson said.
“By the end of the day it’s a bunch of kids sitting around talking and getting comfortable.
“My favourite thing is people realising ‘I’m back at school with my friends being a Harkaway kid: connected, communicating and flourishing’. What a great way to start the year!”
The day is designed to be unstructured and involves year five and six students hosting activities such as sports, chess and indoor games that all students participate in.
Screens were not allowed and teachers and staff members could not organise, instruct or interfere.
“My goal is that kids get bored and then they deal with being bored,” Mr Johnson added.
Since the inaugural day in 2015, one million students across 75 countries have participated.
Children were given the autonomy to engage in activities that appeal to them, simultaneously practicing their social skills in a real world context.
“They’re not just showing others what they’ve learnt, they’re showing themselves, so the kids can self-regulate and talk and communicate effectively,” Mr Johnson said.
“Doing a day of play cements the relationship between ages.”
This year, the school is seeking to give students the power to flourish.
Mr Johnson highlighted that the play day provided the school with the perfect opportunity to capture that sentiment early in the year and instil it into the school community.
“Our underlying theme is giving kids the power to shape their world,” Mr Johnson said.
“In order for that to happen, kids need to allocate resources and make decisions.
“That’s our philosophy around agency and power – giving children the power to make choices. By the time they leave us they can shape the way things are.”
