Mayberry School Community Comes Together at Multicultural Night
Posted on 06/22/2022
Multicultural Night at Mayberry

Mayberry Elementary School ended the year with a celebration aligned with the equity and diversity work the staff has been prioritizing all school year. The Mayberry team welcomed around 250 students and family members to the school for Multicultural Night on May 26.

“This year we’ve done extensive work on building understanding and awareness of different types of cultures, and equity and diversity. So we felt that was a great culminating activity to bring the staff and families together,” said Marilyn Rosario-Cosme, Bilingual Teacher at Mayberry.

Rosario-Cosme, along with Mayberry teachers and staff members Brittany Harris, Lindsey Fortin, Bernisha Williams and Yamilex Rodriguez, organized the event to promote family engagement and unite the school community. Families were encouraged to not only attend, but also participate in sharing and celebrating their cultures.

“So many families were willing to bring artifacts, food, and clothing that represented their culture. It was really amazing to see what and who came,” said Lindsey Fortin, Teacher at Mayberry.

Families brought in an array of dishes from around the world to share. They enjoyed tasting those dishes while listening to music from different countries. Attendees also wore or brought clothing native to their cultures, along with artifacts and instruments which were displayed on a table for everyone to see and learn about.

Organizers say they were thrilled by the amount of families who participated, and loved watching how proud families were to showcase what they brought.

“It was overwhelmingly joyful really,” said Yamilex Rodriguez, Bilingual Family Support Specialist. “I think it was something that nobody expected, especially us, the turnout post-COVID. I believe everyone was just super excited to share their culture.”

Leading up to the event, every grade level worked together to express themselves and their cultures through different projects. One grade level wrote poems. Others created quilts or artwork. All of those projects were displayed around the cafeteria, so all students, even those who didn’t attend the event, could be involved.

One highlight of the Multicultural Night was a performance by Mayberry’s drill team. 4th and 5th graders on the team practiced their steps and routines over several sessions, all the while creating a sense of pride in themselves.

“The biggest part for me was that these kids gained confidence,” said Bernisha Williams, Support Center Tutor at Mayberry. “That’s what we want. We want them to be confident. We want them to express themselves. We want them to share their culture with everybody and that’s exactly what we brought out.”

With this momentum, they hope to continue this important work next school year, and engage even more Mayberry families while doing so.

Teacher Brittany Harris said, “I think it’s important to make it known we understand this is not going to change overnight. The goal that we want to accomplish, those little baby steps, we’re building foundations to get to where we want.”