Center Moriches School District Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Students throughout the Center Moriches Union Free School District spent the recently concluded Hispanic Heritage Month celebrating the languages, music, art, literature, and family traditions of Hispanic cultures.

At Clayton Huey Elementary School, students explored these traditions through a series of engaging activities across classrooms and special areas.

“Hispanic Heritage Month gave our students a chance to learn about the rich cultures represented in our school community, and in many cases, to share in their own,” said Dr. Nicole Fernandez, principal of Clayton Huey Elementary School. “Our students have been curious, proud, and engaged through each and every activity. It has been wonderful to see them learn from one another.”

The celebration begins each morning, when Ms. Jackson delivers the school’s daily announcements in both English and Spanish. In English as a New Language (ENL) classes, students took part in a special Hispanic heritage show and tell, eagerly sharing objects, stories, and traditions from their own families.Mrs. Davidson also spoke to fourth grade classes about her experience coming from a Puerto Rican household.

In Ms. Julian’s class, students read Pam Muñoz Ryan’s novel Esperanza Rising as part of a book club. Along with enjoying a meaningful story, students are discussing the cultural and historical connections woven throughout the book and relating them to their own lives and family traditions.

The book club will culminate in a project called “A Piece of My Heritage.” Each student will choose one meaningful part of their own family story, culture, or heritage, such as a tradition, food, place, celebration, language, or treasured object, and explain why it matters to them. Students will then connect their own experience to what they have learned about Esperanza and her family.

In music, Ms. Sottung and Ms. Basile introduced students to a rhythm activity inspired by Mexican music and cultural traditions. Using plastic cups as percussion instruments, students played a “cup game,” tapping out rhythms along with traditional music such as La Raspa. The hands-on lesson gave students a fun and memorable way to experience Hispanic culture through music, movement, and rhythm.

In art class, students are creating artwork inspired by Día de Muertos, the Mexican holiday that honors and remembers loved ones.

At Center Moriches Middle School, eighth-grade students spent a full day celebrating the Spanish-speaking world. The morning featured interactive stations throughout the building, led by their academic teachers, with each station highlighting a different aspect of Spanish-speaking cultures.

Students explored the Mayan number system in math, examined the impact of deforestation on the rainforest in science, learned about Sandra Cisneros and her influential novel The House on Mango Street in English, and discovered folklore and folktales from Central and South America in social studies.

After a morning of learning and exploration, students enjoyed lunch at La Buena Vida, a restaurant owned by a Center Moriches family. The day concluded with a showing of the Disney film Coco in the school’s large group instruction room.

At Center Moriches High School, four students — Franklin Heredia, Zuleyka Ortega Castro, Heidy Chicas, and Madison Hernandez — were recognized for outstanding academic achievement by the Town of Brookhaven Hispanic Heritage Committee.

“Celebrating Hispanic heritage is about recognizing the families, languages and traditions that make our District the community it is,” said Dr. Ricardo Soto, Superintendent of Schools. “When students see their cultures valued in their classrooms, and learn about the cultures of their classmates, they grow in understanding and respect for one another. I am proud of the way our teachers at Clayton Huey have brought this celebration to life.”

For more information on the Center Moriches Union Free School District, visit the district’s website at cmschools.org. Happenings in the district can also be found on the district’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cmschools.org/. #CMSchools