In all four divisions, Mount Vernon students indulged in delicious food samplings and accompanying education, by FLIK, during lunch throughout the month. Some of the foods and drinks included fried plantains, fruit, and water infused with fruits from Hispanic countries.
On the Lower Campus in Chapel, students participated in their call and response in Spanish.
βGod is Good! All the time! All the time! God is Good!β translated to, βDios es bueno todo el tiempo! Todo el tiempo Dios es bueno!β
In Grades 1 & 2, students continued their identity work through a Global Read Aloud, where they studied the importance of their individual names. In Spanish class, students in Lower School read fairy tales in Spanish, noticing differences between Hispanic fairy tales and the stories they heard when growing up. In the same sense, they also looked at traditions of children in the United States, such as the Tooth Fairy, comparing them to childhood traditions in other countries.
In Performing Arts, students were taught the tango to perform at chapel. During the lesson, they learned about the vibrant colors of Hispanic culture, including the dresses with full skirts and intricate embroidery. In the Preschool, Cheryl Bruno taught the art of embroidery to our youngest Mustangs.
With Hispanic culture being celebrated during lunch, each dayβs lunch menu was delivered over the morning announcements in Spanish. This has raised the interest of many students who would like to share the lunch menu in a variety of other languages known to them. At this point, students have heard their daily menu in Spanish, Korean, Croatian, and German.
Lower Campus Dean of Student and Spiritual Life and Operations Elisse Hayes shared at the culmination of the month, βOverall, HIspanic Heritage Month has inspired others to have the courage to share their own culture and language that may vary from what students see everyday. It has given them a pride in wanting to stand up and share more aspects of their authentic selves.β
On the Upper Campus, students learned about Hispanic culture and heritage through the morning announcements by hearing new facts and trivia questions. In the Middle School, specifically, students were asked a new trivia question each Friday, and the first student to correctly answer the question was the winner.
Additionally, as shared in The Scoop last week, Middle School Spanish students engaged in a variety of different activities like karaoke, where they interpreted, analyzed, and explained different pieces of media in Spanish.
In the Upper School, students watched videos in advisory teaching them more about Hispanic Heritage Month, and the hallways were posted with fliers celebrating and informing students of notable individuals in our country who come from this background. To celebrate individuals at Mount Vernon who honor and celebrate their Hispanic heritage, students and faculty worked together to produce a videoΒ highlighting their culture and unique backgrounds and traditions.
At Mount Vernon, we are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and believe that our trust in each other strengthens our sense of identity and belonging. Honoring celebrations such as Hispanich Heritage Month helps the School in creating and sustaining a culture where all members feel valued and safe while sharing their authentic selves.
