A HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH PARADE at St. Leo School on Oct. 17 featured students representing different Spanish-speaking countries and saints from those countries, St. Leo Spanish teacher Laura Castro told the Sun. (Photo by Bob Vlach)
STORIES OF RESILIENCE and hope for a better future were told by sixth graders, who shared the experiences of people in the community with a Hispanic or Latino heritage. Here, Emilia Weisenberger asked other students and their parents to “Be Strong Like Magaly.” (Photo by Bob Vlach)
A Hispanic Heritage Month parade and program at St. Leo School was an opportunity for students and their families to celebrate the diverse cultures and traditions of people living in the community.
Three of their stories were shared by St. Leo sixth graders, who interviewed them prior to the parade and program on Oct. 17.
The students asked attendees to “Be Prayerful Like Missy,” who is proud of her culture and wants to be remembered for her charity; to “Be Strong Like Magaly,” who came to this country from Mexico for a better life and said everyone should always be welcomed; and to “Be Happy Like Isabel,” who faced many challenges after coming to this country, but kept smiling even when learning English didn’t come easy.
Before walking into Parish Hall for the program, children were joined by their parents in a parade celebrating their Hispanic culture. Students – “whether they have a Spanish heritage or not” – represented different Spanish-speaking countries and saints from those countries, St. Leo Spanish teacher Laura Castro told the Sun.
The bilingual program began with a welcome from St. Leo Catholic Church Pastor Chris Clay, who regularly does mass in both English and Spanish because of the large number of Hispanic families at St. Leo. The school’s first graders then celebrated Colombian culture with a dance performance for parents and their children, teachers and other students.
“I want students to recognize that when we talk about Hispanic heritage,” Castro told the Sun, “we’re talking about people in our community … and our country is a better place because they’re here.”