Mount Prospect School Hosts Eighth Annual International Day

Mount Prospect School held their eighth annual International Day on Friday, December 7th.

The Mount Prospect PTO funded this wonderful event. Mount Prospect Dance Residency Coordinator, Mrs. Gabriela Torres,and the PTO International Day Committee, which includes Kala Hariharan, Catherine Santaiti, Vrunda Manake, Mercy Reyes and Michelle Yang, organized the day with school administrators to celebrate the diversity of the community. During the school day, parents and members of the community volunteered their time to create presentations and engage students in cultural activities about 24 different countries. The 24 countries represented include Brazil, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Turkey, Venezuela and the U.S.A.

In the evening, families were invited to “Taste of the Nations”, where the volunteer parents shared information about their country’s culture, along with samples of their cuisines. The Mount Prospect School orchestra and band, with assistant principal Michael Pepitone on the drums, performed to introduce the third grade student world dances. The dances were directed and choreographed by Joanna Pang Atkins from Morris Arts in Morristown, New Jersey. Countries highlighted in the dance performance were Brazil, Ghana, Japan and the U.S.A. (Hawaii). Joanna Pang Atkins has been a lifelong performer, who has toured internationally and experienced dance and music cultures in many countries. Her professional teaching background is in dance and she teaches all ages from kindergarten to adult. Mrs. Atkins was the recipient of the 2014 Arts Educator Award. She has been a lifelong performer touring internationally and experiencing dance and music cultures in different countries. She has a special rapport with children, and at many schools her World Dance residencies have become an annual tradition.

In the evening, the Bernards Township Education Association sponsored a table for students and families to capture the spirit and special memory of this special day with a Mount Prospect School International Day magnet.