By Emily Drooby
Kids at St. Francis Xavier – Queen of All Saints Catholic Academy are excited to learn about their classmates’ various cultures. Fourth grade student Ricky Vanek, said, “It’s been pretty good, we have been learning a lot of stuff.”
For a week, the school placed a special emphasis on teaching their students the importance of diversity and culture, doing so through all sorts of fun activities, like arts and crafts.
Parent Amie Marcano-Nieto, said, “It’s very important because it beings the families together and it’s also a sense of unity the child, they take pride in their cultures.”
As part of the week students created these cut outs and dressed them in their family’s traditional garb.
Student, Landon Brown explained, “We did this diversity project, you got to write your diversity clothes and then you had to put a picture of your face. And it’s been really fun.”
Other activities included class speakers and a potluck, where students and their parents brought in dishes or items from their culture. Student Rosairy Paniagua-Garica, said, “The Brazilian bread was actually good.” While student, Landon Brown, said, “This week has been very fun; a lot of cultures and I loved the potluck.”
The school’s principal explained that the celebration was a way to recognize the many cultures, countries and languages within the school, and the Diocese. Principal, Manuela Adsuar-Pizzi, said, “For us it’s all about creating this strong Christian message of social justice of empowerment and of love and if we can have these dialogues together and we can love these parts of each other and ourselves then we can make a difference in the world
The Diocese of Brooklyn is one of the most diverse Diocese in the country. It’s so diverse that it’s also known as the Diocese of immigrants.