October "Be IB Day" celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

JEMS students celebrated the second “Be IB Day” of the school year at the end of October, this time focusing on Hispanic Heritage Month.

“An IB school engages students in learning about other cultures, peoples and places,” explained IB Coordinator Alexis Farnsworth.

During this October “Be IB Day,” language acquisition teachers came up with hands-on activities to educate students about Hispanic music, food, and traditions. Students in 6^th grade made calavera, or decorative Day of the Dead masks, 7^th graders made marigolds out of tissue paper, which are the flowers of Day of the Dead, and 8^th graders decorated calavera cookies.

Besides these fun activities, students engaged in lessons about the history of Mariachi music and the Day of the Dead. The day culminated in a celebration, including a performance from a local Mariachi band. JEDIS students were also invited to join middle schoolers and participate in the end-of-day assembly.

Each month, one learner profile trait is highlighted. October’s learner profile trait was ‘communicator,’ which dictated some of the day’s events. During one activity, students used communications skills to lead a blindfolded student through completing a puzzle, and then reflected on what it takes to be a good team communicator.

The following students were nominated by their peers as exemplary communicators, and they received an award: William Kufs (6^th), Grace Rusyniak (7^th), and Natalie Larson-Sheils (8^th). Teacher Christine Klamm was also awarded during the “Be IB Day” assembly.

Leading up to this latest “Be IB Day,” 250 nominations were received for the communicator award. The students who won received the most in number, and the most heartfelt nominations.

The next “Be IB Day” will take place in December.