We love that our students get exposed to so many cultures and in so many engaging and meaningful ways. This week our parents from various Hispanic backgrounds went above and beyond! When parents come and share, children make a deeper connection with the culture. We had a couple from Peru perform a traditional dance in costume. We had a parent bring in a delicious sweet treat called Obleas from Colombia. Another parent also brought in maracas for the children to decorate and then taught them how to dance Merengue. And there were others that made this a special celebration!
Teachers also added to the celebration! All classrooms made quesadillas with the children. One classroom also made arepas which got the children involved in mixing flour and water and kneading the dough. There were all kinds of arts and crafts like making Mexican hats and maracas. The week was rich with related stories as well. Our library of Hispanic cultural books is growing, but recommendations are welcome!
We finished out the week with a special guest Flamenco Dancer from the Alborada Spanish Dance Theater. The children were mesmerized as they watched her dance. She taught them some Spanish words like shouting “Olay!” at the end of the performance. She taught them how to make flowers or “flores” with circular hand motions. And she got them stomping their feet and dancing. The whole show was beautiful and engaging!
