Ossining Schools Observe Hispanic Heritage Month in Unique Ways

From virtual visits to Spanish-speaking countries and a staff video on cooking a traditional Ecuadorian dish to writing poems in the style of Latinx poets, the Ossining School District celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month in unique ways this year.

At Park School for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students, teaching assistant Rosa Sanmartin created a five-minute video on how to cook “Mote de Pillo,” a typical dish in the Sierra Region of Ecuador, where she is from. Ms. Sanmartin cooked the recipe with eggs, onions and hominy, which is produced from dried maize kernels.

“Something easy, quick and very tasty,” she said in the video as she transferred it from her stove to a dish and topped it with slices of white cheese.

Anne M. Dorner Middle School students enjoyed Latin music from around the world during lunch periods throughout the month. In English language arts classes, they studied powerful poems written by Latinx poets -- such as Sandra Cisneros and Francisco Alarcon -- and created their own poems in the style of a Latinx writer.

Sixth-grader Sasha Ross read her poem “Abuelita” in AMD’s virtual Poetry Slam. “Abuelita, my rain and my shine. Abuelita, my life and my pride. She rests like bears but soars like birds. She sees me like her cub that she cares for and loves. She’s sour and sweet like those Sour Patch Kids you see in the store,” the poem read in part.

Others read their poetry on Hispanic culture, food, quinceañeras and other topics. Sixth-grader Philip Vallone wrote his piece about empanadas. “The smell, the taste, the feeling, the sizzle on the stove,” he said. “I look over my mom’s shoulder and… empanadas! They are so spicy and sweet, fresh out of the frying pan that no one can beat.”

At Brookside School, English as a New Language teacher Miriam Aguilar kicked off the celebration with a virtual trip to Peru. Children listened to music in Quechua, a language native to the Andes Mountains region of South America. They also learned about the Amazon rainforest and Machu Picchu.

Second-grade teacher Tara Reynolds and Hortensia Prieto, who works at the front desk, spoke about the history of Cuba and played some of Cuban singer Celia Cruz’ music during announcements.

First- and second-graders “visited” other teachers’ native countries, including Mexico, Uruguay, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala and Ecuador, as well as Puerto Rico.
Brookside also held Heritage Days for the two different hybrid student groups and virtual learners. Families and staff members shared heritage pictures and videos for a school video.

Claremont School third- and fourth-graders attended a virtual assembly with renowned storyteller, musician and writer David Gonzalez. In “Cuentos: Tales from the Latino World,” Mr. Gonzalez regaled them with tales from the Caribbean, South America and the Bronx.

The school selected countries to study on virtual Wednesdays as STREAM lessons, including stories from the native countries of Claremont students and stories of immigration. Micki Lockwood, STREAM teacher, said some of the favorite books she shared were “Islandborn,” “Biblioburro” and “Good-bye Havana! Hola New York!”

At Roosevelt School, fifth-graders spent Hispanic Heritage Month working on a project about a Spanish-speaking country, a Hispanic Hero or a FlipGrid video about Hispanic culture. One assignment was to choose a landmark or beautiful place in Central or South America, visualize being there and write a free-verse poem using the sensory details. Some selections were the Galapagos Islands, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro and Iguazu Falls in Argentina.

On Oct. 16, the school hosted a Zoom panel discussion with Superintendent Raymond Sanchez; Mr. Gonzalez, the storyteller; and Det. Jeff Chavez of the Ossining Police Department about their heritage and contributions to society.

Ossining High School library media specialist Sudha Narsipur and library clerk Akeyla Todd created an interactive digital book display for Hispanic Heritage Month. They used Google Slides and Bitmojis to create a library scene with books written by contemporary Latinx authors. They added clickable links to music, video and audio recordings of students and staff talking about the books, as well as reviews by people outside of OHS and author interviews.

Ninth-grader Shania Flores did a video book review of “I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter” by Erika Sanchez. “I liked this book so much after I read it because it’s incredibly honest – it’s brutal – in the sense of mental health stigma inside the Latino community,” she said. “There are so many parents and families who would rather deny mental illness than face its impacts, and the harsh reality that people who have mental illnesses live with.”

OHS student Gianna Schiavo wrote a review of “Efren Divided,” a book about an immigrant family in which one parent is deported from the United States.

“This book takes you on a journey with Efren and really opens your eyes to the impact a deportation can have on a child,” Gianna wrote. “I would definitely recommend reading this book because it is such a great opportunity for some people to connect with a character, and for others to look into a life so different from their own.”