Last month our schools celebrated Arab American Heritage Month, honoring the culture, traditions and achievements of Arab Americans.
Here is just a glimpse of some of the activities that took place.
Renaissance Middle School (as well as
Buzz Aldrin Middle School and Glenfield Middle School) celebrated Arab American Heritage Month with an assembly filled with music, learning, Arab culture and traditions. The assembly featured a talented Oud player, who shared the history of the instrument and demonstrated the unique sounds and songs it can produce. A Palestinian drummer brought energy and rhythm to the day, while a professor from Montclair State University gave an engaging and informative presentation on the rich histories and diverse cultures of Arab nations. The highlight for many was the upbeat and interactive performance by percussionist Mohamed Karzon, which had students clapping, dancing, and fully immersed in the joy and spirit of Arab music.
.JPEG "arab heritage month assembly")
Nishuane honored the Arab American community with classroom activities and with students joining a school-wide read aloud of
Arab Arab All Year Long! by Cathy Camper,
exploring some common cultural traditions, values, and beliefs. In this special video read aloud, featuring Physical Education teacher Sabrina Bishara who is a member of the Arab American community, students learned some fun facts about Ms. Bishara and about Arab culture through family activities like painting henna designs at a sleepover, preparing maamoul cookies, cooking traditional meals, and creating costumes for a comic convention, to name a few. As students listened to this story, they were able to make connections to family activities that are shared by their families. To deepen their appreciation, students could also participate in the SATp’s Decorative Arabic Calligraphy Art Project, an age-appropriate take-home enrichment. This project was inspired by the culture’s calligraphy art form and the school-wide read aloud book. Each child received fancy paper and other materials so that they could complete the project at home. Projects were displayed on the school-wide enrichment bulletin board.