Schools across the district celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15-October 15. Each year, this month honors the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
All month long, East Hartford Middle School and East Hartford High School (EHHS) shared morning announcements and music in Spanish, while also making sure food choices in the cafeteria included a variety of Hispanic cultures. Both EHHS and Connecticut IB Academy created and sold merchandise for students to wear throughout the month.
Much of the learning around Hispanic Heritage Month took place inside the classroom. At Mayberry Elementary School, the Equity Team lead a professional development training to deepen staff awareness of how to embed Hispanic History Month themes into their daily work.
“The skill you are teaching will always be the skill, the content and opportunity will allow our work to expand our cultural relevance and connection,” the Mayberry Equity Team explained.
Other schools planned special after-school events to engage students and families.
O’Brien Elementary School held its Noche Latina event on October 19. Along with activities and food, this event featured a flag ceremony in which students marched in with flags representing various Hispanic countries, a Bomba dancing presentation and a tutorial on African drums and their relationship to Hispanic culture.
EHHS held its Café Con Leche event on October 13, following the huge turnout and success of last year’s event. Students learned to salsa dance, made crafts, played games and enjoyed cultural cuisine. Students who found a recipe and made a cultural dish to share were eligible to earn community service hours.
The district will celebrate together at the upcoming Multilingual Literacy Fiesta. This event will feature stories, snacks, books, crafts, giveaways, tips and resources for building good reading practices. All stories celebrate Hispanic Heritage and will be shared in both Spanish and English. It will take place on October 25 from 5:30-7:30 PM in the East Hartford Middle School Cafeteria.