How do students participate?

Fête des Cultures Community Art Project 

“We are all Connected" hand sheets are coming home in backpacks today (with instructions). Please decorate your hand and return it to your teacher by Friday, March 13th. Look for a display made up of our student hands in the lobby in the weeks leading up to Fête des Cultures. This project encourages students to explore their own cultural heritage and traditions that are sacred to their families and share them with their peers. 

Student Poster Presentations

Students can choose to prepare a tri-fold board or poster board featuring a country they have visited, are interested in, or a country their ancestors are from. Poster examples were shown in CLTs this week. Students are encouraged to be creative in their presentations and their concepts of culture and heritage. Posters will need to be brought in the morning of the event, Tuesday March 31st. They will be on display for all the Normandale classrooms during the day and for the festival that evening. Posters must be taken home the night of the event when families leave. If your family cannot attend we will keep posters for pickup on the following day, Wednesday April 1. Whether or not you prepared a poster, please still come and enjoy all the fun activities the night of the event! 

Join the Parade of Cultures

Wear clothes that reflect your cultural heritage and/or bring a flag to wave in the parade. The parade will take place at the end of the performances (approximately 6:15pm). An announcement will be made to meet in music room 204 to line up. We would like as many kids as possible to join!

Thank you again for taking the time to make a poster! It is an important part of the sharing of this event. 
Questions? Contact Aisha Alexander.

How do parents and families volunteer or contribute?

Here is how you can help ensure this event runs smoothly:

• BRING FOOD to share from your culture or travels. We will be serving small samples of food from around the world. We hope to have as much representation as possible. All families that are donating food will be contacted individually to go over serving details, arrival times, and the clean up process.

  • VOLUNTEER the night of the event by serving food or assisting with small tasks. Volunteer shifts are planned so that you can volunteer and still enjoy the posters, performances and food. All volunteers will be contacted directly to go over details of their role. 

WHAT can I expect on the day of the event? 

During the school day, all of the classrooms will have an opportunity to walk through all the student presentations in the Auditorium. 

During the family event in the evening,  drop in when you can between 5-7pm or come for the entire time. 

• In the auditorium, experienced dancers, drummers, and musicians from around the world will perform. Performances will take place throughout the evening. 

• In the cafeteria, sample global foods and treats. Please note, this is not dinner, just a sampling.

• In the hallway, explore the student poster presentations

• Come ready to explore and experience:

• Henna artists 

• Hair braiding

• Hands-on experiences

• And more!

How do I get started on my presentation/poster?

Pick your own family heritage or another culture of interest.  Write down information or items you want to learn and share. Determine a title for your display. Make it fun!

Research your topic:

• Interview people, look at books, magazines or websites

• Keep notes of what you have learned

• Some ideas for topics to research: 

• What holidays are celebrated?

• Are the important landmarks, what and why?

• Are there folktales?

• Are there interesting facts?

• Is there an interesting musical instrument?

• Is there traditional attire?

• What foods are unique or special?

Resources:

Not sure where to look for your information? Here are some options: 

• Select books from the Library on your topic

• Talk to a family member

• Britannica 

• Pebble Go

• National Geographic Kids

Project display information:

• Use photos, drawings and facts in your presentation. Be creative and have fun.

• Displays should fit in a 3ft. x 3ft. space. Three-sided foam or cardboard display boards are self-supporting and can be purchased at a variety of stores. Please reach out to Anne Anderson if you need assistance finding or creating a display.
  

Safety rules:

The PTO wants to ensure an educational, fun and comfortable event for all students and families and aligns with the Edina Public School district’s policy 506 regarding hurtful language (please see below). Project submissions may be reviewed by a team of staff prior to being displayed to ensure no hurtful language is present. 

What is harmful language: Policy 506 #35 - Student misconduct based on race, religion, country of origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity that includes, but is not limited to, inappropriate and harmful comments, slurs, jokes, pictures, objects, threats, and/or intimidation.

 Please do not include the following in your presentation:

• Open flames

• Controlled substances

• Latex materials (gloves or balloons)

• Nuts

• Candy or food

We hope to see you there!