The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
About 200 people were expected to show up May 19 for Franklin Park School’s celebration of the world’s cultures.
The school’s International Night featured tables of food, performances and displays from different countries.
The point of the night, according to its organizer, FPS PTO president Montese Anderson, was to widen people’s perspectives.
“We wanted to do something so the children can see that there’s other people in their community and learn something different,” she said. “Definitely with what’s going on in the world, I want to get their minds clear that everyone is the same, no matter where they’re from.”
The evening began with students parading holding flags of various countries, and then reciting the “Stand Up for the Other” pledge that the school took earlier in the year.
Performers included an Irish dance troupe doing a sword dance, two Franklin High School alums performing their own dance routine, an Indian entertainment company and an FPS student performing her own dance, Anderson said.
The children could also get Henna tattoos from several artists who were on hand.
Students were given “passports” when they entered the school, and were to place in them stickers from each of the country’s tables they visited. When they were filled, the passports could be traded in for gift bags.
“I’m just looking for the community to open their eyes up to the things around them,” Anderson said. “I’m just hoping the parents will enjoy it, the children will enjoy it, and next year it will be even bigger.”
Here are some scenes from the evening:
2017 Franklin Park School International Day
