Each year, E.M. Baker School celebrates its cultural and ethnic diversity with a host of activities during Cultural Heritage Week. This week-long celebration from Feb. 12–16 included daily announcements, guest performances, international music, and book read-alouds with the theme, “We All Smile in the Same Language.”
Cultural Heritage Week kicked off during Monday morning arrival as a group of Baker parent volunteers greeted faculty and students with a Dragon Dance in celebration of Lunar New Year. Each classroom received a copy of the books My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero and Words to Make a Friend by Donna Jo Napoli, which were read aloud during the week and then added to classroom libraries.
(Contributed photos)
On Thursday, the Baker fourth-grade chorus presented a Cultural Heritage Concert under the direction of vocal music teacher Cynthia Gorney, featuring folk songs representing Albania, China, England, France, Puerto Rico, the Republic of Congo, and more. Students were also treated to a World’s Fair in the gymnasium, hosted by the Baker PTO, where they visited tables representing over a dozen countries around the world. On Friday, all classes enjoyed a live production of Cuentos del Arbol by the Pushcart Players.
To support the home-school connection, students worked with their families to decorate a 3-D box designed to look like a “boom box” stereo with images and items that represent their culture. The projects were displayed in hallways to show the diversity of the Baker School community.
Cultural Heritage Week at Baker School is an annual celebration organized by a committee led by ENL teacher Ellen Siegel.
—Submitted by the Great Neck Public School District
