The Upper School IDEA team, Sharon Burnett and Chris Byron, Head Prefect Lyndsey Franklin, Wellness and Spiritual Life Prefect, Joe Srinivasan, and Spanish foreign exchange student Julie Escoba have recently begun each morning by speaking The Lord’s Prayer in Spanish and sharing fun Hispanic Heritage Month fact:
- ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ went from being a young Puerto-Rican from the Bronx to the youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress, representing New York’s 14th district.
- HELEN RODRIGUEZ-TRÍAS, a Puerto Rican Physician who was the First Latina Director of the American Public Health Association, and a recipient of the Presidential Citizens Medal.
- JORGE RAMOS, the American Journalist who was dubbed Most Influential News Anchor in the U.S., within Spanish language news.
- JUSTICE SONIA SOTOMAYOR, a Puerto Rican U.S. Supreme Court Judge who was the First Latina to serve on the Nation’s highest Court.
- ROBERTO CLEMENTE, the Puerto Rican baseball player who was the first Hispanic inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Upper School Spanish Teacher Thamara Trematerra’s Spanish 2 class is working on presentations about the traditional clothing of various Hispanic countries. Mollie Martin, Class of 2026, chose to research Uruguay. “I found out that gauchos, colorful ponchos and broad brimmed hats are traditionally worn. One cool thing I discovered was that certain colors of gauchos match different types of music played at parties and festivals.” Many students have built connections between their own culture and the cultures they are studying. For example, Mollie discovered that people in Uruguay wear dark reds, browns, and greens much like people in America do. Ms. Lee points out that “Investigating color and type of clothing supports the critical element of exposure. The step further, into investigating the purpose behind the clothing and inspiration behind the color leads to deep understanding.”