A group of young dancers performed a dance named in honor of Krakow, Poland, during the Roosevelt School’s Cultural Week. (Anne Lunde/Photos from the newspaper)
Students at Roosevelt School in Park Ridge had the opportunity to explore world geography and family history Jan. 27-31 as the school celebrated Culture Week.
Flags of many countries hung along the school’s downstairs hallway.
On a stand showcasing several cultures from South India and its neighbors Pakistan and Bangladesh are: Layla Chacko, Anushka Ali and Sephina Sreekivasak.
Students were encouraged to bring family photos and showcase their family spanning as many generations as possible, and share what they did for a living.
On Thursday evening, parents and grandparents were invited to the school for special presentations.
Students wore costumes indigenous to their families’ countries and cultures.
At 7 p.m., a parade of costumed students took place on the auditorium stage. Then, eight dance groups divided between the auditorium and the south gymnasium performed in the two rooms.
These included:
Irish dancers; dancers from Latin American countries including Argentina, Uruguay, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia and Mexico,
Also: students from South Asia, notably from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and some volunteer friends; Polish dancers performing a dance named in honor of Krakow, the former Polish capital; Middle East; Greece; and various 20th-century American ballroom dances.
Around the gymnasium, parents had set up booths with flags, treasures, photos and food samples from their family’s home country.
Patricia Dantes (left) and her daughter Dianna show off some cultural souvenirs from Guatemala. Dianna is holding a carved wooden reptile. By stroking the spines on its back, it functions as a percussion instrument.
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