Students from Mexico and El Salvador Visit Shorecrest

As part of the Global Scholars Initiative at Shorecrest, Upper School students have hosted French exchange students for over 20 years and fourth graders have hosted Spanish-speaking students for four years. This is a great experience for students to live our school’s Core Values, learn about other cultures, and become global citizens.

The program expanded this year, and fourth and fifth graders had a delegation visit for two weeks. From February 24 - March 9, 2019, nineteen International students visited from Escuela Ameyalli in Mexico and Colegio Maya, a bilingual school in El Salvador’s capital city, San Salvador. They were hosted in Lower School by fourth grade students.

 

Students in JK - seventh grade were treated to an International student show on February 28 in the Janet Root Theatre. The visiting students presented about their countries, cultures, and performed a traditional dance wearing traditional dress from their country. Part of the fun was hearing the students sing their National Anthem.

Visitors spent a day in different Lower School classrooms. They enjoyed meeting the Chargers and experiencing art class and third grade math games with them. This was a fun way to bring diversity and internationalism to our school. The international students also visited alpha classes. They brought books they had made in their English classes about their countries, and read them to the little ones. They loved it!

 

On March 8, the visiting international students led special Spanish classes for first - fourth grade classes. Fourth graders learned one of their typical dances. Third graders tried typical food (plantains with sour cream) and played traditional children games from El Salvador. Second Grade learned about Fernando Llort, a famous Salvadoran painter! They also played traditional games from EL Salvador. First graders learned words in Spanish about their traditional clothes. Salvadoran students presented important facts about their country to kindergartners, and afterwards they played traditional Salvadoran games. It was fun, fun, fun!

The Mexican Delegation also spent a day in Middle School. They spent time in fifth and sixth grade Spanish classes and made Papel Picado with the students.

They enjoyed two field trips to learn about the Tampa Bay Area. Both delegations thanked Mike Murphy for the invitation to Shorecrest with gifts. 

Three weeks later, another delegation from Escuela Ameyalli in Mexico City visited Middle School's seventh and eighth grades. They stayed for two weeks and were guest artists for Celebrate the Arts. Sharing art from Mexico was wonderful! They taught the Middle School students how to make alebrijes, a traditional art from Mexico! They also shared a project about Mexican masks.

This year students in Lower and Middle School have learned about and enjoyed other cultures first-hand! Thank you to all the families who hosted a guest - their support is imperative for our Global Studies Initiative Program to grow in Lower and Middle School. Congratulations to all the students who have lived the Core Values in this experience and have shown great global skills!

Bravo Lower and MIddle Schools!

Find photos from their visits here.