Entertainer Patricia Shih, left, has some fun with third-grader Anika Santhanam, center, as fifth-grader Ryan Lee cheers her on during the recent Cultural Celebration at Martin Luther King School in Edison. PHOTO BY AMY ROSEN EDISON — In honor of their school’s namesake, students at the township’s Martin Luther King (MLK) School celebrated the diverse cultures that coexist in the school and throughout the world.
Third-grade teacher Roseanne Vallely coordinated the event, with help from the school’s Human Relations Team.
“What’s lovely is that when an event like this takes place, it’s a big party and the best part is that you can feel the heartbeat of the whole school when we’re all together like this,” Vallely said. “They’re just celebrating each other; it’s just lovely and wonderful to see …”
The annual Cultural Celebration held on Jan. 17 was the culmination of weeks of hard work by students in the kindergarten- through fifth-grade school as they explored, emulated and shared the unique traditions of a wide range of cultures. Some students donned clothing that reflected the traditional dress of their own ancestors.
Roseanne Vallely, a third-grade teacher at Martin Luther King School in Edison, looks at some of the projects that students created for the school’s annual Cultural Celebration. PHOTO BY AMY ROSEN “Each grade level is in charge of a different continent,” Vallely said. “They proudly display customs and facts and different information about each culture within the hallways so when the parents come back in the evening with the children, they can experience all of these wonderful places just by touring the hallways. We also tie in a live performance.”
The kindergartners did projects on Europe, focusing on Italy. They participated in special events such as “A Taste of Italy.”
The first-graders studied Australia, and featured its various native animals through dioramas, reports and more.
The second-grade students focused on the Native American culture, making clay pots and decorative dream catchers, as well as totem poles from toilet paper rolls, pinch pots made of clay and sand art. They also made paint out of berries.
The third-graders’ topic was South America.
The Kapok tree was an inspiration for hallway decorations. They also talked about the animals of the rainforest and saving them, displaying animal riddles as well as dioramas. They honored famous people from places like Chile and Brazil, and created “Time” magazine pages featuring the students.
Africa was the focus of the fourth-grade students, who created projects that reflected African people, clothing, jewelry, masks, art and music. They also displayed the flags of Africa and many native animals.
Students in fifth grade studied Asia, focusing on Indonesia. They created festival lanterns and shared “fun facts” about the archipelago, also creating chimes and symbols from that area of the world.
“Everyone has been working really hard on their projects,” Vallely said. “Ultimately, they will be taking their passports as they walk down the hallways to visit the displays, and on their passports they will write down everything that they learned …”
Parents were invited to tour the school in the evening and see a performance by singer/songwriter/author Patricia Shih, who entertained and educated the children during an afternoon assembly aimed at fostering good will toward others and pride in each of their family backgrounds.
Shih has appeared on the cable TV show, “Tell Me a Story.” She tours nationally, performing for all ages.
Shih’s husband, Stephen Fricker, accompanied her on guitar.
Through an interactive musical show, Shih taught students how to say “thank you” in Chinese and “friend” in sign language. She also invited the students to share words they know from their own families’ native languages.
Some taught their peers to say words like “hello” in Hindi and “great” in German. The excitement was contagious as the children repeated the words.
“We are all part of one big program that fosters positive behavior in schools, and part of the reward for their excellent behavior is to have these shows,” Vallely said. “Martin Luther King, being the namesake of our school, and all that he believed in … really ties in with that program …”
Prior to Shih’s performance, a colorful Chinese dragon danced down the aisle to kick off the assembly and to commemorate the Chinese New Year.
A video presentation about Martin Luther King Jr. explored segregation, shared the essence of his “I Have a Dream Speech,” and told the story of Rosa Parks and how a boycott led by King helped end segregation. It also told of King’s assassination and how the movement he created lived on through his legacy.
A rap song about King’s legacy had the kids clapping.
Four students in Dena Feldman’s fourthgrade class provided a world tour in the hallways of the school.
“I learned from this that you should do every project because they are so fun,” Jeffrey Zou said.
Prisha Patel said she learned about the jewelry and clothing of various cultures in art class, and that she liked the displays on Australia and South America.
“I liked walking around the hallways, and I learned a lot about the continents,” Ayushi Kriplani said.
Laurel Sarkaria agreed.
“I liked learning about the different cultures and the animals and the clothing and jewelry and the foods,” she said.
School Principal Diane Wilton lauded the event, and said it made her proud of the students.
“When I look out at the children, they’re just so beautiful and they just love to learn, no matter what it is,” she said. “And this special time of the year when we are honoring Martin Luther King and celebrating our culture and learning about the cultures throughout the entire world, we really are dressing children in the global society so they understand the significance of how we fit globally. This community, they come from all around the world, yet they are so accepting of each other.”