Kent Place Primary School Students Celebrate Their Heritage

On Wednesday, November 16, Kent Place first graders gathered in Hauser Hall with their families to celebrate heritage, culture and diversity.

The Heritage Festival is an annual event at Kent Place and represents the culmination of the learning unit, “Our Heritage,” where students are encouraged to connect with their families to discover their own unique history.

“In first grade, during October and November, students learn about themselves and each other’s heritage,” stated Edee Zabriskie, first grade teacher. “After researching their family background information, each student shares information about her heritage, we locate countries on our class globe and we discuss special traditions and foods that a family might share.”

The festivities began with the formation of a sharing circle. Students and their parents or grandparents sat holding a picture of the flag whose nation they represented. Each girl had the opportunity to stand up and present an element of her family’s culture and traditions.

The countries represented in this year’s class were: the United States, China, Italy, Canada, Belarus, Scotland, Netherlands, Belgium, Korea, Ireland and India.

The vibrant and rich display of heritage continued with an international tasting festival. Each family brought a favorite traditional food to add to the wide array of culinary treats.

In Kent Place’s Primary School, multicultural concepts are woven into the curricula using a variety of games, media, technology and activities. Students learn through dance, playing games from around the world, singing songs in different languages, cooking and eating different ethnic foods and acting out authentic stories. This approach encourages students to learn actively and engage in a variety of rich resources. For more information please visit www.kentplace.org/diversity.