Westbury Christian is diverse like the Kingdom, a school where students, faculty and families contribute their unique backgrounds, talents, and experiences in growing together. The school is recognized by Niche.com as the fifth most diverse private school in Houston (2022). We view this as an opportunity to reflect God’s glory and the beauty of His Kingdom.
Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans as we celebrate the heritage rooted in all Latin American countries. It also allows our students to grow in their understanding of and experiences with different cultures, especially the cultures and heritage of many of their classmates and teachers.
To kick off National Hispanic Heritage Month, a guest speaker from the Holocaust Museum Houston spoke to our middle school students to share how and why the the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was established. The WCS 5th and 6th grade classes are reading Refugee, a story of three middle school-age children from different eras: Nazi Germany, 1990s Cuba, and modern day Syria.
“The guest speaker and the novel prompt students to think through connections between the text and the world and the text to themselves,” says middle school teacher Jackie Román. “It enforces reading strategies and skills beyond the classroom.”
In our Lower School, National Hispanic Month has been celebrated in the classroom and in art and library enrichment classes. Kindergarten students practiced scultiping in the style of Romero Britto, a Brazilian artist, painter and sculptor. Students have read books celebrating Hispanic and Latin American cultures such as ¡Vamos! Let’s Go Eat by Raúl the Third, ¡Bravo! Poems about Amazing Hispanics by Margarita Engle, and The Three Little Tamales by Eric Kimmel.
Lower School students also experienced a performance of baile folklórico, “folkloric dance” in Spanish, a collective term for traditional cultural dances that emphasize local folk culture with ballet characteristics – pointed toes, exaggerated movements, and detailed choreography.
“This was an amazing presentation for our students,” says Lower School Principal Amanda Archer. “I could see the joy on their faces and feel the energy in the room as our students watched the performance. They recognized the music that they had been listening to and learning about in their classrooms. I could see the connections they were making with that learning. It was wonderful!”
Middle and high school students have raved about Mrs. Lund’s Spanish classes. As one activity, students worked on a research project about Latin American countries and influential Hispanic and Latino Americans.
“We drew pictures of our country of origin and pictures of important people we have studied in our countries of origin,” explains Spanish I student Caylee B. “My favorite person to study so far has been Ellen Ochoa. Did you know she was the first minority woman and first Hispanic woman to go into space and become one of heads of NASA? That’s amazing. She worked so hard and learned everything.”
In our high school, students in Spanish III learned the history of Alberto “Beto” Pérez, the creator of Zumba. To celebrate, students learned a part of a Zumba routine.
“Hispanic Heritage month is a time to celebrate and recognize the achievements and influence of Hispanics and how they have championed change in the United States. Hispanic culture is so intertwined with our daily lives through music, history, language, art and more, especially living in Houston which has a large and thriving Hispanic population,” says Spanish teacher Malaika Lund. “God created a world full of beautiful cultures and communities and this is just one opportunity to celebrate the diversity we have in Westbury Christian School. This month gives us a change to highlight the amazing changes that have occurred in communities through people who persevered and stood for what they believed in.”
The intentional focus on Hispanic heritage this month has an impact on students. Many students observe that the events and activities provide an opportunity to celebrate their peers and recognize an important part of our history.
“To me, it means being able to celebrate my culture even more than I do now,” shares one high school student. “Celebrating Hispanic heritage month means a lot to me because it represents who I am, my culture and my people.”
To view photos of student’s celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, click here https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjA96s1
