54.0°,
Overcast Forest Road celebrates its diversity
Students from Forest Road School have one trait in common — they all live in Valley Stream. But they all came to the community in different ways.
Some belong to families that have lived in Valley Stream for generations. Others are new to the community, moving in from another town, or even from another country. The student body at Forest Road represents dozens of nations from around the world, and that diversity was celebrated last week.
“We’re from all over the place,” said Principal Erin Malone, who said International Week is an event students look forward to. “People like to brag about where they’re from.”
The hallways of the school were lined with tables during the week, featuring a variety of cultural displays. Each grade was assigned to a continent, and then students were given individual countries to study. The children then created the displays featuring pictures, fact sheets and more.
Parents took it one step further, sending in a variety of cultural artifacts. They also provided family photos to create a Forest Road collage. Malone said that having the families contribute makes International Week a true community event.
At the end of the week, students were given passports, and had to travel from table to table to find the answers to certain questions about different countries and cultures.
Several years ago, Malone said that the school used to host an International Night, which featured cultural performances. She decided to expand it to a whole week, to make it more academic for the students. “We ask them to learn and to research other cultures,” she said.
Sixth-graders Larry Rhabb and Jericho Lee worked together on a project about France. They created a brochure for tourists, and put together a suitcase of items someone might need if traveling to the nation.
The boys said they enjoyed International Week. Larry explained that his favorite part was learning about the traditions of his classmates, including the games they play and the music they listen to. Jericho liked learning the history of other countries.
“It’s a time where we can come together and celebrate,” Jericho said.
Outside each classroom was a map, showing the countries where all the students hailed from. In music classes, the children studied composers from around the world.
