Two salsa dancers greeted arriving Lower School students last Friday morning in the yard in honor of El Mes de la Herencia Latina (Hispanic or Latino Heritage Month). This was just part of Lower School’s celebration of Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month, which featured classroom projects and a virtual assembly on October 22.

Head of Lower School Francis Yasharian shared that during the previous weeks, in Spanish, Nursery students had been learning colors by grouping objects according to azul, rojo, amarillo, and morado.

As host of the Hispanic/Latinx Assembly, Pre-K B teacher Evelyn Gomez welcomed the Lower School community and said she hoped everyone had enjoyed the Latin dancers that morning, “a great way to start the day.”

Gomez introduced the projects that the Pre-K team had put together. She thanked teachers for making it part of the classroom discussion at the Lower School. She shared a graphic that helped to show the differences between Hispanic and Latinx countries and where they intersect. Then she said, “Knowing what you know now, how would you identify Pele?” She noted the soccer star was born in Brazil. She went on to introduce Picasso, who was born in Spain, and Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, whose parents were born in Puerto Rico.

Gomez shared a photo of Pre-K A’s Taino rock paintings. In Puerto Rico, thousands of 13th-century Taino rock paintings have been discovered by archaeologists in vast cave systems.  The students’ own drawings “reflect natural wonders in the world,” Gomez said.

Pre-K B had made vejigante masks using card stock. Gomez explained the masks are traditionally used in carnivals. The children talked about flags of different countries and what they mean. One student said that flags tell where someone comes from. A short video featured children singing about el coqui, a frog native to Puerto Rico.  It’s very important to keep traditions strong, Gomez told the children.

Gomez shared a beautiful video of scenes of Puerto Rico accompanied by Marc Anthony singing “Preciosa” (Beautiful).

Gomez ended the assembly by saying, “Feliz Mes!”