Schools embrace Hispanic Heritage Month
Observance, which ends Sunday, involves food, music, dance, history.
Civil rights leader and labor organizer Cesar Chavez. Salsa dancing. Tortilla making.
These were some of the activities students at Dearing Elementary School learned about or immersed themselves in during Hispanic Heritage Month, which ends Sunday.
The time of year coincides with the Independence Day of several Latin American countries from Spain in 1810, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica on Sept. 15, and Mexico on Sept. 16.
Different campuses and each grade level sets aside time and activities dedicated to acknowledging the contributions of Latino people in the United States. At Dearing, this occurred during enrichment activity rotations on Friday mornings.
Students learned how to make paper flowers and completed a taste test with chips and salsa, among other activities. Fourth-grade teacher Jamie Cowan said students spent a half-hour every Friday morning to celebrate Hispanic heritage. By Oct. 6, students at Dearing already had participated in four activities.
“Our goal was really to allow kids an opportunity to celebrate their own culture as well as other cultures by being exposed to them,” Cowan said. “We want Hispanic students to be proud of their culture.”
Keily Sanchez, a fourth-grader at Dearing, said she learned to “show off (her) moves” during the salsa session.
“No one will blame you for not dancing right,” Sanchez said, “and my teacher was dancing, too.”
One week her family gathered for burritos, pork, tortilla chips and salsa. She said her family, hailing from Cuba, ended the night with salsa music in the background.
“I think it’s important to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month because other kids who are not Hispanic get to learn what it’s like to be Hispanic and they get to celebrate with us,” she said.
Rafael Mendoza Olmos, a fellow fourth-grader, said he didn’t realize how many Latino icons there were until he started learning about them at school.
Of Mexican origin, Olmos said his family spent a day in September gathered over tamales and cumbia and other Latino music.
“I feel like there are people who do not know everything about Hispanic Heritage Month, or anything about Mexico or Cuba, so I’m pretty sure this is a way for them to learn more about the world and different languages and cultures,” he said.
Meanwhile, Spanish Immersion Program students at Riojas Elementary School prepared for South American dance and music performances on Friday to conclude the school district’s Hispanic Heritage Month activities.
“Our community gets a better understanding about each background, uniting diverse ethnicities and closing gaps,” said second-grade Spanish immersion teacher Diego Perezchica.
He said teachers aim to integrate academic learning with Hispanic culture to introduce students to other places in the world.
“Students’ role is to learn about the culture and to teach others about Hispanic culture with the same universal language: music,” Perezchica said.
He expressed gratitude for the hard work of students who have shown excitement and enthusiasm about learning Latino culture.
“I am grateful for the work each teacher has done with the students not only academically but culturally, and simply expressing to them the Hispanic love,” he said.