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closeElementary children celebrate holiday
Mexican holiday, Dia de los Niños,means fun, games, snacks and a little bit of learning, too, for students at Daffodil Valley Elementary
Roxanne Cooke
It was all about the children for Dia de los Niños last Thursday at Daffodil Valley Elementary.
“Dia de los Niños,” which translates to “Day of the Children,” is a Mexican holiday that pays homage to children, said Daffodil Valley PTA member Samantha Brendible. Daffodil Valley’s student population is 20 percent Hispanic, so the PTA decided two years ago to celebrate the holiday in their honor.
Mexican arts and crafts, music lessons, games, piñatas, dual-language storytelling and basic Spanish language lessons filled the day for all grade levels, said Brendible, who helped coordinate the event.
“It’s all about fun but it’s about learning, too,” she said.
Normally, the holiday is celebrated on April 30, but WASL scheduling took place during that time. Instead, the elementary school celebrated it May 22. As part of Daffodil Valley’s after-school program, some students take part in a Mexican dance group called the Daffodil Valley Dancers. They performed traditional dances, including the Mexican Hat Dance, in an assembly that started the day’s events. A professional dance group from Olympia performed at an end-of-the-day assembly.
Children and teachers snacked on Mexican-style Jell-O, Mexican hot chocolate and chips and salsa. Mexican crafts were created and displayed in the hallways, including Papel Picado, tissue paper with shapes cut into it, similar to a paper snowflake.
“I think they love it,” Brendible said. “It’s fun for them.”
The school strives to have a diversity event every year, said principal Marcie Belfield. The goal is to teach children the importance of learning about other cultures and languages in today’s global world.
“We try to have a cultural day,” she said. “It just brings us together in another way.”