Brogden School festival celebrates many cultures
By News-Argus Staff
Published in News on March 28, 2007 1:45 PM
A "Parade of Nations" kicked off Brogden Primary School's first Multicultural Festival, held earlier this month.
Students started the day by marching through the halls and cafeteria, bearing flags, maps, costumes and crafts representing a variety of countries.
In the afternoon, the school celebrated an assembly of performers representing each continent. Dr. Alan Armstrong, director of the Mount Olive College music department, played bagpipes. Bobby Sherard, member of the African dance team "The Magic of African Rhythm," played the drums and taught the students an African chant. Josh Geyson, a Tae Kwon Do instructor, performed with two of his students.
Benjamin Amaro, an English-as-a-second-language teacher, played the cuatro, a four-string instrument from Venezuela. Expressions of Panama performed folkloric ballet dances, and Sarah Banka, a teacher at Meadow Lane Elementary, wore her native Indian attire and spoke Hindi to the children.
It was a collaborative effort, with every teacher choosing a country to research and study with the students, Ms. Wall said.
Even the Pre-K students took part, representing Australia and dancing to the children's song, "Waltzing Matilda."