St. Olaf students make other cultures come alive

Friday, Jun. 12, 2015

BOUNTIFUL — The students of Saint Olaf School presented their annual International Day May 28. 

Passports in hand, students, parents and guests were able to travel to many different countries represented in the building. Each classroom was elaborately transformed into a different country to share information, games, activities and food of that particular region so that “travelers” could go from room to room to learn and explore different ways of life around the world.  

Studying a specific country, each class learned about the history of their chosen country, traditions, food, dances, culture and the uniqueness of each area.

Visiting Mexico in pre-K, travelers were treated to handmade Mexican flags, vibrantly decorated sombreros, and the very energetic dancing of the tiny students.

Kindergarten visitors to Granada were treated to a PowerPoint program with facts and scenic pictures. They also participated in a limbo contest. Beach scenes, photos of sea life and suncatchers brightly decorated the room.

Castles of every size, from tiny tabletop creations to the huge stone walls created in the room were a fitting backdrop for Irish tales, songs and a very spirited Irish jig presented by the first-grade students.

In the second-grade room, travelers were treated to the sights and sounds of Argentina. An original play about gauchos on the Pampas was presented before travel to Buenos Aires, where tangos were performed. Reminiscences of Pope Francis followed, then visitors were treated to a song about Evita Peron by a talented second-grader.

Third-graders presented a variety of facts about Romania. An icon-covered monastery was in a corner of the classroom, which contained Romanian artifacts dating back to the 17th-century. 

Cherry blossom trees were the backdrop for beautifully clad Japanese ladies, kung fu warriors and, of course, giant sumo wrestlers who performed exciting matches in the fourth-grade room, where visitors were greeted as they entered by student-created peace cranes.

Egypt was the next stop; the fifth-grade room was filled with mummies, pyramids, Egyptian royalty and video presentations about the history and treasures from that beautifully mysterious country.

The sixth grade showcased a “Land Down Under” with sights and sounds of New Zealand. Travelers were treated to many displays about the uniqueness of this island country. Their presentations were topped off by a rousing Hakka war dance performed by the sixth-grade boys. 

The final stop on the world tour was Vatican City, presented by the seventh- and eighth-graders, where visitors could see the uniqueness and beauty of the world’s smallest country and its most famous resident, Pope Francis.  Visitors also were treated to homemade vegetable “Casa del Pellegrino.”

Not only was International Day a delightful treat for all those who attended, it was a means to encourage students to have pride in their own culture, and also to develop respect and understanding for people of other cultures.