Photos: Framingham Students Feast At Cultural Mosaic Dinner

FRAMINGHAM, MA — Second-graders at King Elementary School in Framingham gathered on Friday night to take part in a unique annual event. The fourth annual Cultural Mosaic Dinner allowed the students to show off research they did on the countries where their families either come from or identify with — and that research included a potluck meal.

The dinner on Friday served as the endpoint to curriculum focusing on family lineage. The students talked about heritage with their families at home, and were assisted in conducting research about those places by their teachers and King Library Media Specialist Maggie Sullivan.

In the past, the event has drawn almost perfect attendance from student families, according to King second grade teacher Samantha Buckley.

This year's event highlighted over a dozen different countries including Russia, China, India, and Ukraine, Buckley said. Some students have discovered new things about their family through the project. For example, one student wanted to focus on the United States. But when he went home, he discovered by talking to his family that he had French Canadian roots — so he switched his project to focus on Canada.

"I think it's really important we encourage the families to get involved," Buckley said. "It's also a time to bridge the gap between home and school."