Hispanic Heritage Month runs from Sept. 15-Oct. 15 each year, and schools around the district have been celebrating and commemorating the month in a myriad of ways. Here’s a few of the celebrations and recognitions that have taken place so far, and we’ll share more throughout the month as they occur.
At Brooklyn Middle STEAM School, scholars could be found making a variety of Hispanic foods throughout the month, such as Mexican street corn, or elote, and tostones, or fried plantains, in their family and consumer science (FACS) class. FACS teacher Beth Romano said her classes are also spending time learning about chefs of Hispanic heritage to celebrate the month.
Fair Oaks Elementary School hosted a Hispanic Heritage month event Sept. 27 in partnership with the district’s Equity department. The event included food trucks, Hispanic vendors, activities, and three cultural dance groups, including Aztecas, Chinelos and baile Folklorico.
At Palmer Lake Elementary School, the school hosted a Hispanic Heritage museum that classrooms visited throughout the last week of September. The museum has a plethora of items and books that represent different Hispanic cultures, and scholars completed a short assignment on the exhibits as each class took a turn visiting the museum.
One of the museum’s creators, Patty Scofield from the school’s English Learner department, said the museum goes a long way in helping the school’s scholars with Hispanic heritage to connect with what they’re seeing at school and share knowledge with their peers.
For instance, she shared how a third grader who is new to the U.S. was thrilled to share pronunciations of the museum’s items with her classmates when visiting it with her class. Despite her currently limited ability to speak English, she was able to connect with her classmates and give them a better glimpse into her knowledge and experiences that a language barrier can sometimes complicate.
Hispanic Heritage Month events were held at Osseo Senior High School (OSH) on Friday, Oct. 13 and Park Center Senior High School (PCSH) on Saturday, Oct. 14.
At OSH, scholars and families enjoyed music with dancers in traditional outfits and delicious food celebrating Hispanic culture. It was a great opportunity for attendees to connect and see district scholars connect with others who share the same desire to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
“Being here and seeing the happiness on my daughter's face will make me feel comfort in my heart on school days. I know she has people who care about her and friends to say hi to,” one of the parents said at the event.
At PCSH, Family & Community Engagement (FACE) hosted an event where community members could gather to enjoy food, music and entertainment. At the event, a band played music while attendees danced along. Students in attendance walked across the stage to present flags from all of the Hispanic countries. Everyone there also shared a delicious meal together to celebrate the heritage month.
