By Jessica Easthope
They jumped at the chance to celebrate each other, the whole school was on their feet, embracing and adopting each culture as their own, at St. Catherine of Genoa St. Therese of Lisieux, this is Catholic Schools Week.
“Jesus cared for everyone and we are all one so showing what each child represented or expressing who they are came together as a community so that we can really appreciate one another,” said principal, Darlene Morris.
Students in Diocese of Brooklyn schools speak 44 different languages. Principal Morris says the school has a mostly Caribbean student population. On Thursday, they took trips around the region giving each island its own moment to shine.
“When people celebrate my culture, I feel very appreciated and like not left out,” said fourth grader, Joy Francoeur.
“Even though we all have different ways of growing up we can still come together and work together as a family,” said eighth grader Leonardo Jones.
“We have all these different ethnicities and opportunities to excel and just be the best version of you that you can possibly be,” said eighth grader, Kimora Ward.
The eighth grade students gave presentations about the meaning behind their flags and proved you can’t appreciate another culture without tasting it first.
Tanya Kennedy, the school’s financial manager coordinated the culture day. She’s an alumna of the school and says it’s just as welcoming today as it was all those years ago.
“Relating the Catholic faith with our culture it’s what I experienced as a child going here and they can have that same feeling to continue onto the next generation,” said Kennedy.
Students in the most diverse diocese in the country are one in Christ.