Kindergarteners worked together to create a statue of Jesus the Redeemer to represent Brazil. On the left of the statue in the back row is classroom teacher Deborah Pisciotti. She is assisted by Karen Leon, standing on right of the statue. “Each student made a book and their own artwork for Brazil,” Pisciotti says.
Story and Photos by Karen A. Avitabile
It started a few years ago with a single class highlighting the diverse cultures representing Catholic Academy of Waterbury. Then, as other classes joined this celebration, the Heritage Day event was born.
“The kids wait for this event all year,” says Naury Cruz, a middle school Spanish teacher who is coordinates Heritage Day with Gena Mokbel Ahmad. “Showing their parents their hands-on projects are what makes the students feel special.”
Heritage Day, which has turned into a yearlong, hands-on project for the entire school including pre-kindergarten, showcases a different country in each classroom. Each of the 10 classrooms learn about the history, clothing, holidays, traditions, artwork, food, music and more of their chosen country.
This year’s Heritage Day focused on Brazil, Ecuador, Japan, India, Kenya, Mexico, Malaysia, Turkey, Albania and the state of Hawaii.
On May 17, the festivities culminated with an open house, student presentations, tours of the classrooms and a reception for students, parents and friends. Several local restaurants donated multicultural dishes for participants to enjoy.
“This event gets kids interested in their family’s generational tree,” Cruz says. “I love how they talk about their parents’ backgrounds.”
Some of the cultural projects demonstrated by students integrated the STREAM curriculum which focuses on science, technology, religion, engineering, the arts and mathematics. They are all “student directed,” Cruz adds. “Heritage Day teaches students schoolwide how to work as a team.”
The kindergarten class learned about Brazil. The students re-created the Christ the Redeemer statue using modeling clay and paper mache. Completed in 1931, the original 98-foot colossal statue in Brazil’s southeastern Rio de Janeiro serves as a symbol of Christianity around the world.
Kindergarteners also focused on the Carnival in Brazil and the Amazon rainforest, which covers much of northwestern Brazil and extends into other countries. In addition to the statue, other items on display in the classroom included native pottery, an area devoted to a jungle and rainsticks.
Japan was the country chosen for fourth graders to research. The students learned about the significance of koi fish in the country, landmarks, history, fashion and the pronunciation of some words in Japanese. Projects included creating origami and a mural. The students also constructed Mount Fuji, an active volcano in Tokyo, from paper mache.
Eighth graders focused on Albania. They learned about soccer (the official sport), fustanella (a traditional skirt), the red poppy (national flower), cherries (in abundance in all markets) and more. They sampled tavë kosi, a beloved national dish made of lamb and rice.
They also built a replica of the fifth-century Krujë Castle, perched on a hill in the north central Albanian city of Krujë. Set to music, a slide show of all-things Albania was presented in the classroom.
A school assembly was held to allow students to see the work by their fellow classmates. A Heritage Day banner and a flag representing all countries worldwide were on display. Both elements, used annually, were created for previous Heritage Day events.
“Everything we do is based on students learning,” Cruz says of Heritage Day. “When they work on this project, they fall in love with the country. There is something for everyone.”
