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Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations

10/18/2019

Both Primary and Middle Schools celebrated Hispanic Heritage month, observed Sept. 15–Oct. 15. Heritage months are important opportunities to bring the community together to honor different cultural, ethnic, and racial identities. These celebrations, in concert with carefully designed units taught throughout the curriculum, deepen children’s explorations of the school-wide themes of identity, diversity, and community and help us live more fully into our mission of creating an inclusive community of life-long learners.

Primary School Gathering

Yesterday, K-2 students marked the ending of Hispanic Heritage Month in a special Gathering that included voices from throughout the school community. Jose Argueta, a member of the maintenance team, opened with a few instrumental selections on guitar. Next, Jason and Lourdes taught everyone the “Say Hello” song in Spanish. A special performance of “Somos Como Las Flores” by the Kindergarten class, accompanied by Dave and Audrey, followed.

Christine McDaniels, Primary School librarian, came by to share about the many books and resources available in the library for anyone who would like to read in Spanish. Second Grade Teacher Jazmine Jackson took Christine up on her invitation, and led a bilingual read-aloud of Rooster Gallo by by Jorge Luján with several other members of the faculty. Gathering ended with a final song by Jose. Jason Novak said, “It was truly a beautiful time together and deeply represented the many gifts, talents, and identities we celebrate throughout year in our Lowell community.”

Middle School Explorations

In Middle School, Delta groups studied 15 contemporary Hispanic activists and created infographics about them. The infographics, now on display in the main hallway of Parkside, tell the stories of notable but perhaps lesser-known activists such as Jocelyn Cazares, Ralph Lazo, Elena Lacayo, and Roberto Clemente. Stories about Jaime Escalante, who proved that Hispanic high school students could be successful in learning calculus, and Lorena Cervantes, who uses dance to make learning English accessible to many second language learners, bring to life the idea that everyday people can use their passions to make a difference in their communities.

Hispanic heritage studies in Middle School were highlighted in last week’s Gathering, which began with a reading and reflection on the poem The U.S. of Us by Richard Blanco, President Barack Obama’s inaugural poet in 2013. The poem, written in the wake of the August 3 shooting in El Paso, TX, challenges the claims of unity and freedom expressed in “The Star Spangled Banner.” After the reading, students split into their Delta groups and were quizzed on the humanitarians and activists they studied. Students were surprised by how much they hadn’t known about modern Hispanic activists and gained a greater appreciation for Hispanic contributions to the continuing efforts towards civil rights in the U.S.

Read more about the Primary School’s approach to heritage month celebrations in our school blog: The Proof is in the Pudding: Heritage Month Celebrations in Schools by Jason Novak

School News

Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations