Willowbrook celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month

Willowbrook’s Hispanic Organization of Leaders in Action (HOLA) Club recently celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

The group hosted a variety of activities at the school to recognize this important event, including:

• Filming an educational segment on The Brooks Channel (Willowbrook’s student-led news channel)

• Decorating the hallways (pictured above)
  
  
• Selling traditional Latino drinks and food items to raise funds for HOLA scholarships (more than $2,500 was raised)

• Hosting a Spirit Week from Oct. 11 to 14 (pictured above)
  
  
• Sharing facts and information about Hispanic countries during daily announcements

On Oct. 26, students in Kelly McGovern’s Spanish 2 class participated in a Latin American Dance Day with Kristy Meza, founder of Fierce Health + Fitness LLC. To watch a video of the event, click on the image above.

The students learned how salsa and merengue originated, the basic steps of each dance style and the importance of dance in culture. 

“I wanted to provide students the opportunity to engage and interact with the culture of Spanish-speaking countries,” McGovern said. “Spanish class is much more than just vocabulary and grammar. It is culture: dance, music, food, customs, tradition, and the list goes on. Language and culture go hand in hand. (This activity) was not only connecting what we learn in the classroom to the real world and learning how other cultures communicate through dance, but it was a way for me to share a piece of my passion that language learning is fun with my students as well. It's a great way to get students out of their desks, put themselves outside of their comfort zone and partake in the culture itself.”

According to www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov, “Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month … by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.” It began in 1968 and was originally observed as “Hispanic Heritage Week” under President Lyndon Johnson, but was later extended to a month during President Ronald Reagan’s term in 1988.

District 88 has about 50 languages and more than 30 countries represented among its families, and more than one-third of the nearly 2,000 students at Willowbrook speak more than one language. District 88’s core values include fostering an inclusive environment and a sense of belonging, where all students, staff and community members feel safe, valued, respected and welcome – regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity.