News Detail
Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrated by INSPIRE
The Upper School student club dedicated to diversity awareness, INSPIRE, held its fourth annual celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month with assemblies on Oct. 10 for both the Upper and Middle Schools. Hispanic Heritage Month is the period when the nation recognizes the contributions of Hispanic Americans to the United States, and to celebrate Hispanic heritage and culture. The observation was originally Hispanic Heritage Week and was approved by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968, then expanded to a 30-day period by President Ronald Reagan in 1988, starting on September 15 and ending on October 15.
The concept for this year’s festival was an assembly and scavenger hunt, created by the INSPIRE officers and refined by Director of Student Activities Maya Gunaseharan ‘08. The officers, Angely Prieto ‘14, Fayzah Di Natale ‘14, Wendy Grullon ‘15 and Max Ballas-Bograd ‘14, aimed to celebrate the history, culture and people of the 20 different countries that are a part of the Hispanic world in a more interactive way.
“They wanted to offer a taste of Hispanic Culture and engage students in a way that would open their eyes to the many different components of the culture,” said Ms. Gunaseharan on the officers’ goal for this year’s format. “During half of the assembly, the students traveled by advisory group, with the incentive of completing the scavenger hunt so that they could enter the drawing for a prize. The scavenger hunt guided the students through the room and enabled them to visit the different tables throughout and learn about Hispanic culture. The assembly was definitely an experiment, and I think we learned a lot from it. My hope is that other clubs/activities will be inspired to come up with creative ways of engaging their peers and teaching them about all sorts of things.”
Prior to the scavenger hunt, Bronx native and award winning poet and author Mariposa María Teresa Fernández (http://www.universeofmariposa.com) performed for the Upper School.
Back
The Middle School assembly was a little more traditional, featuring a 26-minute video and five members of the Middle School community who shared their feelings about Hispanic Heritage Month using the prompt, “What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?”
Eighth grader Diego Lena ‘18 said, “For me, Hispanic Heritage is a great opportunity not just to recognize all the contributions to our nation; it is also an opportunity to learn about the Hispanic culture, which is rich in holidays, traditions and celebrations.” Sixth grader Jimena Vivian ‘20 said, “Hispanic Heritage Month means different nationalities coming together in peace. Even though we have different habits, and we come from different places, we can still share our experiences and understand each-other very well. This event is not only for celebrating the presence of Hispanics, but to celebrate different cultures and traditions. During this month we remember our family, our traditions, where we come from, and all the things that make us who we are."
Seventh grader JoséSanchez ‘19 echoed these words, saying, “Hispanic Heritage Month means a lot to me. Hispanic Heritage Month is a time for Latinos to reflect on the past, stand high and tall in the present, and to look forward in the future. I am proud to be an American of Hispanic Heritage. I believe that we have certain things about us that make us who we are, like our language and culture. I like our dancing, music, and delicious foods, and how we are able to share these cultures with everyone. To be a real Hispanic or Latino, you have to have the heart and pride of one, not just be from there.”
Eighth grader Diego Lena ‘18 said, “For me, Hispanic Heritage is a great opportunity not just to recognize all the contributions to our nation; it is also an opportunity to learn about the Hispanic culture, which is rich in holidays, traditions and celebrations.” Sixth grader Jimena Vivian ‘20 said, “Hispanic Heritage Month means different nationalities coming together in peace. Even though we have different habits, and we come from different places, we can still share our experiences and understand each-other very well. This event is not only for celebrating the presence of Hispanics, but to celebrate different cultures and traditions. During this month we remember our family, our traditions, where we come from, and all the things that make us who we are."
Seventh grader JoséSanchez ‘19 echoed these words, saying, “Hispanic Heritage Month means a lot to me. Hispanic Heritage Month is a time for Latinos to reflect on the past, stand high and tall in the present, and to look forward in the future. I am proud to be an American of Hispanic Heritage. I believe that we have certain things about us that make us who we are, like our language and culture. I like our dancing, music, and delicious foods, and how we are able to share these cultures with everyone. To be a real Hispanic or Latino, you have to have the heart and pride of one, not just be from there.”
Mailing Address: 315 East Palisade Avenue Englewood, NJ 07631gps: 81 Lincoln Street, Englewood, NJ 07631
201-569-9500 Email: d-e@d-e.org
Located in Englewood, New Jersey, Dwight-Englewood is a greater New York City area private school with a rigorous college prep curriculum for boys and girls in preschool through grade 12.