Besides experiencing a bilingual education in Slovak and English, our high school students at the Lutheran Academy are required to study a third language. To celebrate the unique cultures that come with each language, our school invited the local community to attend an “Around the World Night.”
Each class prepared 5 minute texts that were read by our students in their language of study and again in Slovak, all in classrooms that were decorated to give a unique ambiance. As participants exited the rooms, they received a passport stamp that doubled as a raffle ticket to win educational prizes. Between readings, visitors could socialize and purchase inexpensive books in a variety of languages.
A taste of Germay, Russia, France, Spain, and the United States were provided for all the guests. The hallways were filled with the smell of Russian bread drink, the sight of colorful, homemade French macaroons, and the sound of crunching American caramel apples.
French Student Daniel Dulla remarked, ”The most significant part of the whole experience to me was the sense of community. It was so strong and so present, and it made us all feel comfortable enough to read in a foreign language, that for the record we don’t know that well at all, in front of an actual, live audience. The overall event was amazingly coordinated, and everybody did an amazing job preparing classrooms, food, and helping with the cleanup afterwards. I believe we have set the bar very high for years to come.”
To help support quality and creative education at our school visit “Way to Give” or contact Blythe Barreto.
