Students from three Maple Ridge elementary schools are explaining what Vaisakhi is and how it’s celebrated in a new educational video.
Albion Elementary, Fairview Elementary and Harry Hooge Elementary students in grades 3 to 6 participated, with guidance from English Language Learners (ELL) teachers Harjit Chauhan, Sukhdeep Birdi and Kawaldeep Ghuman. ELL teachers Kana Wiens and Susan Eskandari also helped some students practice their parts.
“We wanted to make a video about Vaisakhi to share our students’ experiences and educate our school communities about this important festival in the South Asian community,” explained Chauhan, ELL teacher at Fairview Elementary.
Vaisakhi (or Baisakhi) is a spring festival that celebrates the beginning of the harvest season and the founding of the Khalsa in 1699. It is celebrated by Sikhs around the world and in Punjab, India, where many people rely on farming for their livelihood.
“Our South Asian students, parents and extended family members have come from or have lived in this area and continue to farm in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows,” said Kawaldeep Ghuman, ELL teacher at Harry Hooge Elementary. “It’s important to acknowledge Vaisakhi because it is meaningful to our students, their families and us.”
When you acknowledge and showcase different cultures and traditions, you are fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging, she added.
In the video, students break down the meaning of Vaisakhi, the different ways it’s celebrated, and the importance of the harvest. They describe visiting a gurdwara, the Vaisakhi parade (nagar kirtan) and the selfless service (seva) that takes place during the celebration. The students also explain the different traditions they take part in and their significance.
“Students were excited to participate and share their knowledge and experiences about Vaisakhi in the video,” said Sukhdeep Birdi, ELL teacher at Albion Elementary. “They were excited to dress up in traditional clothing such as their Punjabi suits and kurta pajamas.”
When students were rehearsing their lines for the video, Chauhan added, they were looking forward to the upcoming celebrations.
“We could hear the excitement in our students’ voices when they described their Vaisakhi plans such as getting together with family and meeting with their cousins at the parade,” she said.
These discussions were wonderful to take part in, Ghuman added.
“It was interesting to learn how students celebrate Vaisakhi in their own special ways and it was wonderful to make our own personal connections too,” she explained.
Vaisakhi is all about spending time with loved ones, dressing up, enjoying traditional food, and spirituality, said Birdi, noting it is much like other spring celebrations in that sense.
In past years, the group of ELL teachers have produced other educational videos with their students highlighting different holidays and traditions, including Ramadan, Diwali, and Nowruz.
“We hope that our Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows school communities gain a better understanding of Vaisakhi and continue to learn about the different festivals that represent our students,” said Chahaun.
This year, Vaisakhi falls on April 14, 2025.
