The gym at MacArthur Middle School in Prospect Heights offered families a vibrant trip around the world at last month’s Heritage Night. Booths surrounding the gym celebrated cultures from Mexico, Greece, India, Israel, Poland, Romania and the Philippines, among others.
Kamini and Roshni Patel and their children introduce India and its culture through works of art, foods and books. (Photos by Gina Laslau)
“Cultural heritage stands out as a unifying thread across all of District 23,” MacArthur Principal Camron Nystrom said. “We enjoy highlighting our district’s greatest assets: its people and its diversity.”
Over the years, Heritage Night typically has served between 300 — 500 people from the communities it serves, including Prospect Heights and portions of Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect and Wheeling.
Visitors began their adventure right at the door, when they received passports and stamps to begin their exploration. Families then had the chance to play games, listen to stories, eat multicultural food and learn about cultural practices across the globe.
For instance, the Romanian booth, run by the Voicu family, whose children attend Eisenhower and Betsy Ross schools, displayed pieces that conveyed their traditions and culture, including food such as Eugenia biscuits.
At the India station, headed by Kamini and Roshni Patel and their children who are Eisenhower and Anne Sullivan School students, guests connected with the culture through works of art, foods and books. This included the Bhagavad Gita, a Hindu scripture from the first or second century BCE, which the family displayed to share India’s most practiced religion.
The Israel station, run by Alex Cheskis, whose daughter is a MacArthur student, showcased a trivia wheel, a menorah and other items representing Judaism.
At the Philippines station, MacArthur Principal Camron Nystrom invited students to explore animal names across different languages, including Tagalog
At the Philippines station, Mr. Nystrom himself invited students to explore animal names across different languages, including Tagalog, the most-used language in the Philippines next to English. A Spanish-speaking student noticed that “leon,” or “lion” in Tagalog, was spelled identically to the Spanish word “león.”
Several of the booths displayed posters and quilts put together by Sullivan and Ross students who are taking the IDEAS class, a new D23 offering that focuses on innovation, discovery, exploration and awareness.
This vibrant display of cultures within the District 23 community affirms one of its core missions, says Superintendent Dr. Don Angelaccio, which is to engage students in a variety of activities that both challenge and prepare them for the future.
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