Ardmore Elementary School marked multicultural week beginning April 28 with a series of activities celebrating cultures around the world. The weeklong celebration concluded with the school’s annual Multicultural Fair on May 1, where families hosted interactive stations in the gym representing six countries: Burma, India, Mexico, Brazil, Ireland, and the Philippines.
Students received passport stamps as they explored each station and learned about cultural traditions through artifacts, books, clothing, music, food, and other cultural elements.
Throughout the week, students also explored multiculturalism in their specials classes. In music, teacher Garret Hammond led students in learning multicultural songs and dances, including two of the featured countries from the fair—Mexico and Brazil.
Kindergartners sang “La Zapatero,” a traditional Mexican song, and learned a Dutch folk dance called “Boanopstekker.” First-graders practiced “Fjaskern,” a children’s dance from Sweden, while second-graders learned “Los Machetes,” a traditional Mexican dance.
Third-graders learned the Russian folk dance “Sasha.” Fourth-graders sang “Sansa Kroma,” a call-and-response song from Ghana. Fifth-graders explored “Sambalele,” a lively Brazilian folk song that incorporates two-part singing along with percussion and mallet instruments. These lessons gave students a meaningful way to experience the rhythms and stories of cultures around the globe.
In addition to music, students participated in global games during physical education with Mr. Kueper. Kindergartners through second-graders played “3 Chiefs,” a traditional game from Nigeria. Third- through fifth-graders participated in “Hunters and Rabbits,” a fast-paced game from Belgium.
During art class, students learned about famous artists and their works from the countries featured in the fair.
Special thanks to the Multicultural Team for their thoughtful planning, to the parent volunteers whose time and energy made the fair possible, and to our specials teachers for helping students celebrate multiculturalism throughout the week.