Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) is an annual celebration of Hispanic and Latino culture and history that takes place across the United States. Steward has long celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) with special programming for students in all divisions. Alejandro Prince, Steward’s Coordinator of Community and Belonging (within the Center for Engagement), said this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month was rich in opportunities. 

“Learning environments are as much about positive human development as they are about academic growth,” he said. “Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month is particularly exciting because of the opportunity to learn and grow in both of these aspects.” 

Characters, Storylines, and Authors
Lower Schoolers enjoyed lots of possibilities to read books that celebrate Hispanic characters, storylines, and authors. Thank you to Librarian Carlee Smith, who shared book recommendations to support teachers’ work during Hispanic Heritage Month. Her suggested books included “Merci Suarez,” “Isla to Island,” “Who is Sonia Sotomayor?” and “Perla the Mighty Dog.” The author of “Merci Suarez,” Meg Medina, will visit Steward on October 29 to chat with our fifth- through eighth-grade readers!

Games, Cooking, and Conversations
Middle/Upper School Librarian Crystal Hamlin and World Languages Teacher Diana Niemas cheered seventh- and eighth-graders on through a traditional Mexican game called loteria, a bingo-like competition that uses a deck of 54 cards decorated with vibrant images. Students also teamed up to cook (and sample!) arepas, a fried flatbread made by combining masa harina (similar to cornmeal), oil, water, cheese, and salt. Both events were opportunities for students to work together and practice their Spanish-language skills.

Middle and Upper School students attended Hispanic Heritage Month assemblies that included remarks by Hispanic and Latino/a students sharing what they appreciate about their culture. The panel discussion featured Javi Lara ’27, Jennifer Lujan ’27, Lourdes Olivencia ’27, Linkin Rose ’26, Salem Torres ’27, Gabriel Zepeda ’28, and Rafi Zepeda ’26. 

At the assemblies, students also watched a video in which Mia Burruss ’26, Dante Castle ’26, Naomie Crosby ’28, Eva Deasy ’26, Maya Deasy ’29, Natalia Jimenez ’26, Linkin, Campbell Vautrin ’26, and Gabriel chatted about their connections to Hispanic/Latino heritage and the importance of family celebrations. 

They also explored the importance of Día de la Independencia (Independence Day), and Mrs. Klein guided them through a collaborative mural project. She began by creating a large-scale portrait of Frida Kahlo and divided it into a 99-square grid. Each student filled two squares using paint pens, markers, and yarn, adding their own colors, patterns, and designs. Once reassembled, the mural became a stunning visual tribute now on display in the Middle School. The project culminated in a field trip led by Mrs. Ramirez to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, where students took a guided tour of the exhibit “Frida, Beyond the Myth.”

Dance and Music
Led by Rafi and Gabriel, Upper School students and teachers took salsa, merengue, and bachata dance lessons. 

“These are dance styles popular in parts of Latin America such as Colombia, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic. Each type of dance has its own step pattern and music,” explained Rafi, who especially loves salsa dancing. “There’s nothing quite like the quick steps and whipped turns, harmony of the horns, and rhythm of the steps!” When she looked out at her classmates and teachers dancing, she “felt celebration … That’s what Hispanic Heritage Month is all about.” 

To cap off HHM, Upper Schoolers sampled Latino foods along the Colonnade while a mariachi band played traditional music. Members of Steward’s Hispanic Honor Society brought in a variety of home-cooked foods, including tarta de la abuela, arepas, arroz con pollo, magdalenas, and tarta de almendra. Thank you to World Languages Teachers Marina Escamez Ballesta, Maria Burruss, and Ms. Ramirez for planning this lively assembly and food festival! 

New Ways of Thinking
Care & respect, civil discourse, individuality, and inspiration (four of Steward’s six core values) are through lines in cultural expression, lineage, family dynamics, and history, which “deeply influence how we treat each other with empathy and mutual respect,” noted Mr. Prince. “Sharing Hispanic/Latino culture is ultimately about the power of storytelling: taking our passions and experiences and shaping them into conversations, dance moves, recipes, and community.”