Story by Rosemary Leonetti:
In a tradition spanning a decade, students at the Lynbrook Kindergarten Center celebrated all the cultures that make up the rich heritage of their community at their school’s annual Multicultural Festival earlier this month.
To prepare for the festival, children brought in artifacts from their countries of origin and discussed the significance of each item with their teachers and classmates.
Students and their families then gathered at the end of the week for a culminating festival that began with a colorful Parade of Flags.
Dressed in costumes depicting their family’s heritage, the children sang “It’s a Small World” and performed the merengue, a traditional dance of the Dominican Republic.
And since no multicultural festival would be complete without food, parents served up a selection of international dishes from around the world.
As a special remembrance of the day, each student received a “passport” that they filled with stickers of international flags.
In conjunction with the Multicultural Festival, students attended a puppet show titled “It Takes All Colors to Make a Rainbow.” With the help of puppets of all nationalities, puppeteer Anna Kravis led students in a round of African, Spanish, Russian and American folk tunes.
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