R. Grant Graham Elementary celebrates diversity

R. Grant Graham Elementary teacher, Gary Novak’s website is full of fun and interesting lessons about everything from computers to science to reading including the pages devoted to the celebration of the cultural diversity that makes up his school. “One of the most beautiful things about the Avondale School District is the diversity displayed throughout the student population. Our school, Graham Elementary, is the most diverse school in Oakland County and the third most diverse school in Michigan,” he writes on his website.

Novak wants his students to understand why the beauty of their differences is so significant so he wraps an entire research and presentation lesson around it. “The students work for weeks on the project which takes as many forms as there are ethnicities.” For the presentations, some students wear clothing representative of their heritage, some bring in food dishes with an ethnic origin, others talk about the history and customs celebrated by their families. “We’ll have at least eight different cultures represented during the presentations,” he said.

For fourth grade student, Atianna Rivera, the project seemed “big and scary”. “My family is from Puerto Rico and I do know a lot about the country but I knew there was still a lot to learn. We had to talk about it to the whole class and that’s why I did the Power Point, so I wouldn’t forget anything. I had to practice some of the words over and over to get them right.”

Born in Libya, student Abdlraof Aqeel came to the United States when he was only one year old. He also thought the project was “big” but asked his parents to help him with the research. “We used the computer but my parents told me many things about the customs and the food. I was proud to teach my friends about Libya.”

“That is really such a big part of the reason for doing this lesson,” explained Novak, “the students are proud to talk about their heritage and share some things that are special to their families. They bring a surprising depth to the presentations – each putting so much of who they are into it. “

Parents attend the day of presentations and watch as their children interpret and present for the class the uniqueness of their culture. Delia Pop, the mother of Romanian born, Luca Pop helped her son pass out a mitiei (meatball) and a slice of prajitura (cake) to each of the students. She brought Romanian currency to show the class and a newspaper that included Luca’s birth announcement which she translated from the Romanian text. “This is a good way for all of the students to learn about different people who really are not different,” she said as the third- and fourth- graders lined up to go to music class.

Novak agreed as he watched his charges jostle for a spot in line and chat with each other about recess.

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