Central High School Celebrates World Language Week

Valley Stream Central High School celebrated the beautiful diversity of world languages and cultures during World Language Week in late March.

As part of the festivities, the third floor of the building was decorated with flags from around the world and tables with poster boards created by students to represent the various cultures at the school.

Each day, loudspeaker announcements were made in the different languages taught at the school and used in the students’ homes. A special group was set up in Microsoft Teams for students and teachers to share photos, recipes and cultural information. Each day of the week featured a different theme, including “Represent Your Roots,” “Represent Your Flag,” “International Day” and “Sports Day.”

In their respective American Sign Language, French, Japanese, Italian and Spanish language classes, students used the app Blooket to test their comprehension of the language and culture.

Additionally, the students engaged in an after-school activity called Say Hello in Another Language. Students created short presentations about specific countries and cultures for classmates and teachers. Featured cultures included those from China, Ukraine, Japan, Pakistan and the Philippines and students presented common phrases, cultural norms, and interesting facts about each. Presentations were also done in American Sign Language. Finally, students had the opportunity to learn origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, after school.

On Friday, Heritage Afternoon began at 4:00 p.m. in the auditorium. Students presented song, dance and poetry from Jamaica, Mexico, the Philippines, India, Pakistan and Colombia, as well as other Latin American and various African countries to fellow students, parents and staff members.

Heritage Week is a multicultural lens through which students learn about the language, culture and heritage of their peers and reflect on the pride that they have for their own culture. The festivities were brought together through the school’s World Language Department, which looks to celebrate the school’s diversity every year.

For more information about the Valley Stream Central High School District, please visit the District’s website at https://www.vschsd.org/, and like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ValleyStreamCentralHighSchoolDistrict

Date Added: 5/11/2022