How The F.K. White Culture Fest Impacted My Daughter

My daughter attends F.K. White Middle School and today was their Culture Fest. More so than any other day Londyn was excited to tell me how her school celebrated diversity and the various cultures around the world. What was extra cool about the celebration today is a lot of the information came from the actual parents and students that attend her school! I really thought that was wonderful because being exposed to the traditions and customs of other nationalities helps us grow, gain understanding, and develop a tolerance for other people. Something we need more of in our world today.

I was happy to see how excited she was to learn. Londyn is a former T.S. Cooley Elementary student and developed a love for school from there. Thankfully that fondness has not changed and neither has her classmates. Nearly all of them are now in the TELC/Gifted Program offered at F.K. Anyway, we often talk about her day at school what she learned, what's for homework, etc. However, I usually have to ask. Today was different. I didn't have to ask her anything, she was more than happy to give me the scoop.

Londyn says was surprised to learn about the lady Buddha statue in Vietnam. That “Buddha” also means “Enlightened One,” and unlike most Buddha statues the one in Thọ Quang depicts a woman. She learned today that the statues of bald men, most of us are used to seeing are not Buddha, but rather monks. Londyn went on and on about the different ways other cultures pray such as the Vietnamese and those of the Islamic faith. Another fun fact she found interesting is that several Disney movie characters like Rapunzel, Cinderella, and Snow White were all based on German folklore fairy tales.

There were representatives from roughly twelve different countries such as France, Germany, Belgium, Vietnam, Canada, India, El Salvador, Canada, and Mexico just to name a few. All the students got a chance to taste the different foods that people from each of these countries eat. She loves to eat and said she wasn't hungry because of all the samples she enjoyed. Knowing her she tried everything at least twice! Like her mom, Londyn loves history, exploring different cultures, and discovering what makes them special. She really enjoyed the Culture Fest. I thought I'd just share that.

"Talk to me, so you can see what's going on." - Marvin Gaye