school News
Festival of Cultures Celebrated at Plantation School By Julie Levin
W
ith students represent-
ing more than 60 countries and cultures on its campus, the American Heritage School recently threw a celebration of its diversity. “We do this to not only honor our past and where we are from, but to celebrate our present,” said Ileana Delgado, the Spanish teacher who helped organize the event. For a third year, the lower school students at the school, located at 12200 W.Broward Boulevard, enjoyed a Multi-Cultural Day on campus. It began with a stirring parade of flags representing more than 40 countries. Students, some dressed in traditional Jacob Jeong, who is of Korean heritage, clothing from their homelands, marched Representing the United States in the Parade of Flags, Alicia Cypress. takes part in the Parade of Flags. in to the music from the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Delgado says the idea dents put together cultural was to not only highlight the countries they learn about in their language classes, but displays and hands on activities. “The class that selected Spain chose basket weaving as also to honor the different heritages of their students. “Every child that comes to us its hands-on activity,” said Delgado. “Every class had something different.” Each class from somewhere else leaves something behind with us that they share,” said Delgado. then rotated through the other classrooms in their grade to learn about other countries. As at the Olympics, the last flag brought in belonged to the host country. During the Rounding out the Multi-Cultural experience was a show put together by students American Heritage parade of flags, the last flag to be introduced was the U.S. flag, which in the foreign language program, based on the theme “We are the World” . Delgado was carried in by Alicia Cypress, a student of Native American descent. said the idea was to give all the students in their school a lesson in tolerance, and to Following the parade, the students returned to their classrooms where they embarked understand that although most of us are from somewhere else, we are all part of the on a number of different activities representing a specific country that they had chosen American family. “They learn to accept and welcome other cultures, and that we live to learn about. Parents brought in authentic foods from those countries, while the stuin a multi-cultural society,” Delgado said.
Students Ready to Take Checkered Flag at “Saints 500” By Julie Levin
S
tudents, start your engines! For third
year, aspiring young race car drivers at Our Savior Lutheran School in Plantation will take part in their annual “Saints 500” race. Set for February 14, the “Saints 500” is patterned after the world-renowned Daytona 500, with just a few small changes. “The children make their own incredible cars that they can stand in and race,” said Jane Nicklas, the principal of the school which has been part of the community since the 1960’s. Students design, build, and decorate their cars out of materials as simple as cardboard boxes and plates. Unlike most other school projects, they are encourTop: Students also get to enjoy real-life classic cars from a Pontiac GTO to a Model T Ford. Left: Students and their cars in last year’s “Saints 500”.
aged to work together with their families to turn out truly unique creations. “We’ve seen cardboard box cars equipped with PVC pipes for the exhaust, under-cabinet lights as working headlights, and even working radios,” said Nicklas. They can
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modify them as extravagantly as they want.” The “Saints 500” was put together by several of the school’s teachers who are huge NASCAR fans. They try to give the race as much of an authentic feel as possible. They set up “pits” for each grade where the students put the finishing touches on their cars. They open the event just like they do at a traditional NASCAR ceremony, with the singing of the national anthem, a prayer, and letting all the participants take a lap around the track. Students in each grade climb into their cars waiting in the pits and then assemble at the starting line, waiting for the green flag to be dropped. When they are not on the track, they will also have a chance to explore some unique, real-life vehicles, thanks to school families and supporters from the community. Some of the vehicles that have been on display in the past have included, go-carts, a Model T Ford, a Pontiac GTO, a Mazda R-X7, a 1973 Camaro, a 1961 Impala, an airboat and the first ever street car touted to have broken 250mph in the standing mile. They’ve also had the chance to take part in a demonstration using an air gun to remove a tire’s lug nuts. Nicklas says the best part of their race is that there are plenty of winners, not just the driver that takes the checkered flag.”It allows for our children to be creative and spend time with their family. It taps into a part of our community who are race fans and it is just a lot of fun,” she said. The public is welcome to come and enjoy the races. Our Savior Lutheran Church is located at 8001 NW 5th Street in Plantation. For more information, phone them at 954-370-2161.
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