Classroom Happenings: Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15) is an annual celebration of Hispanic and Latino culture and history that takes place throughout the United States. Steward has long celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) with programming for students in all divisions. 

Alejandro Prince, coordinator of community and belonging (within Steward’s Center for Engagement), said, “Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month is enriching for students, as it’s an opportunity to learn and grow.”

Multicultural Song and Literature
Lower Schoolers engaged in enriching lessons during HHM.

Kindergarten students taught by Amy Hendrick welcomed Victoria Shams, grandmother (abuela) of David McNeill ’39, to class for a special reading. To the delight of the children, Ms. Shams read “Abuela,” a charming book whose storyline centers on a young girl who wonders if her abuela can fly. 

Second graders read the story “Paletero Man” in their Spanish class, which is taught by Lower School Spanish Teacher Jen Blanco. The bilingual book features themes of kindness and community … and a sweet surprise!

Lower School Spanish Teacher Valerie Donnini created a project that combined two favorites: nature and song. She and her junior kindergarten, kindergarten, and first-grade students visited the Bryan Innovation Lab woodlands over the course of several weeks and practiced singing songs such as “¡Buenos días!” and “Colores y números.” On a sunny fall day, the students performed these songs and more to their fellow Lower Schoolers. 

“Students enjoyed having the opportunity to be outside — what a wonderful way to honor our schoolwide theme of nature! — and move around while practicing their Spanish skills,” said Sra. Donnini. She added, “I also read the book ‘Bold, Brilliant, and Latine: Meet 52 Latine and Hispanic Heroes’ to my students during Hispanic Heritage Month. Our young Spartans found the combination of nature, music, and discussing inspirational Hispanic people uplifting.”

Artistic Vision
Eighth graders taught by Lower/Middle School Visual Arts Teacher Abby Klein celebrated the diversity of Hispanic culture through art. After researching artists from a range of countries and backgrounds, they created their own works of art. 

Students had a wide variety of mediums to choose from: drawing, painting on canvas, mixed media, collage, and even pyrography (the art of decorating wood, leather, cork, or paper using heated tools). 

“This encouraged students to experiment and find creative ways to interpret the style and ideas of the artist they studied,” noted Ms. Klein. “One of the most rewarding parts of this project was seeing how each student responded to the artist they researched. Although students were inspired by the same broad theme of Hispanic art and culture, their finished pieces were varied and personal. The project allowed them to combine research, cultural learning, and creative expression in a way that made the learning experience meaningful and memorable.”

Grade 7 Spanish Class
On a warm fall day, seventh graders gathered on the Colonnade to read about and reflect on famous Hispanic figures, including Dr. Franklin Chang-Díaz, who flew on seven space shuttle missions, and actress and songwriter Selena Gomez. The project was led by World Language Teacher Claudia Ramirez.

Ms. Ramirez also shared an interactive lesson on Venezuelan history, culture, and her own experiences as an immigrant during a special presentation during community time.

The Language of Music and Dance
During community time on October 5, Upper Schoolers delighted in a performance by Andres Arevalo and dancers from Peru Folklore, a Richmond-based troupe. Onstage in the Lora M. Robins Theatre, Sr. Arevalo played a variety of instruments, including the cajon, quijada, and cajita de limosnas, smiling broadly as he invited the enthusiastic audience to clap and stomp their feet to the music. Later in the day, third, fourth, and seventh graders also enjoyed a performance by Peru Folklore. 

Ms. Ramirez, who organized Sr. Arevalo’s visit, said, “Students enjoyed the rich artistic and musical heritage of Peru and experienced the joy of communicating through the universal languages of rhythm and music.” 

Food for Thought
To cap off Hispanic Heritage Month, Upper Schoolers sampled Hispanic foods along the Colonnade at the Festival de Comida Hispana while listening to a selection of Hispanic music. The Steward community, led by members of the Hispanic Honor Society and the SOMOS club (a Hispanic and Latino student organization dedicated to celebrating culture and building community), enjoyed a variety of home-cooked foods, including tarta de la abuela, arroz con frijoles, tres leches, plátano frito, tortilla de patatas, empanadas, guacamole, queso, elote, and jarritos. 

Thank you to Upper School World Language Teacher Marina Escámez Ballesta and the following students for organizing and cooking up the delicious festival: Daniel Del Valle ’29, Juliet Forlano ’28, Kaitlyn Freed ’27, Hope Garnett ’28, Naim Girón-Luqman ’29, and Gabriel Zepeda ’28.

New Ways of Thinking
Care & respect, civil discourse, individuality, and inspiration (four of Steward’s six core values) are through lines in cultural expression. 

To further support student education, Mr. Prince posted timelines in the hallways of the Middle and Upper Schools that explore significant milestones, historical events, and influential public figures from Latino and Hispanic backgrounds. 

Commenting on this year’s Hispanic Heritage Month theme, “Unidos, Somos Más” (Together, We Are More), Mr. Prince noted that “each day is another opportunity to reflect on how interconnected we are. Having a month dedicated to that reminder is excellent practice that we can use in our daily lives. Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!”