Heritage Day is an event which is dedicated to learning more about family history. The sixth grade English department has a unit dedicated to this day, where students work on their “Coming to America Journal.” Students researched their ancestors throughout the quarter and typed papers about his or her ancestors’ life. The project also held a creative element, allowing students to create their own stories based on their ancestor’s voyage.

     Sixth grader Sienna Selcuk, “got to learn about [her] heritage and where [her family] came from,” Because students’ ancestors came from all around the world, each sixth grader shared a unique story—Heritage Day served as an opportunity for students to reflect on their lineage.

     The event allowed parents to see what their child’s curriculum was based on for the past two months. Students were able to bring in food reflecting their ancestor’s culture. Whether it was pierogies from Poland, tacos from Mexico, or pizza from Italy, students left the event with a stomach full of exotic food. Along with sharing food, students shared one interesting fact about their ancestors and heritage.

    Heritage Day was an experience for students to connect with one another. It provided an opportunity for Sixth Graders to share their culture to their friends and family, and surprisingly, students discovered that their ancestors knew each other or were even related. Students came prepared with a fact sheet about their ancestors, which included their ancestor’s names, their country of origin, and interesting facts.

    There is also a deeper meaning to Heritage Day.  Middle school English teacher Mrs. Ponchock thinks, “It’s a really important way to look at where we come from so we know what connects us to one another; it helps to really celebrate the perseverance of our ancestors who sacrificed so much to start a new life in America.” Heritage Day helps create a sense of community within the school, which is very important.

    The event is the perfect culmination of the first semester for the sixth grade class. It allows parents to view what their students are doing in class, and it ties in cultural elements from all over the world. Heritage Day will continue to be an annual tradition of the sixth grade year.