This year, as part of ISTP’s Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives, we have been celebrating the many cultures at our school with rotating artistic and cultural exhibits in the hallways of Cohn Campus. Students have already been treated to incredible exhibits honoring Hispanic Heritage Month, Diwali, and Chinese New Year.
In February, in honor of Black History Month, teachers, parents, and students together created a beautiful exhibition of the art, history, and culture of black Americans, Africans, and the African diaspora.
Elsewhere at school, in one 3rd grade class, teacher Elena Menezes was inspired by the book Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls, to focus on four inspiring American women for Black History Month – mathematician Katherine Johnson, tennis player Serena Williams, author Maya Angelou, and singer Aretha Franklin. Students read about these figures and discussed as a class why they were important. They read poems by Maya Angelou and listened to some of Aretha Franklin’s legendary music – the class’ favorite song was “Respect.”
Learning about Maya Angelou was also a great tie-in to the 3rd grade PYP unit on poetry and self-expression, with the central idea, “We communicate and express creativity through different forms.” One 3rd grade student, Naomi D., was so inspired by what she had learned that she decided to dedicate her final poem to Black History Month. Read Naomi’s work below!
ISTP is a truly unique place, home to families of 30+ nationalities from across the globe. In addition to celebrating French, Chinese, and Anglophone cultures throughout the year, our community is even further enriched when we tap into the multifaceted mosaic of diverse ethnicities, cultures, and mother tongues that make up the International School of the Peninsula.
