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Visit Shorecrest and discover your Spark

Students from Colegio Maya, El Salvador, Experience Shorecrest

Source/Author: Emili Jaime-Allwood, Lower School Spanish Teacher

March 27, 2016

Lower School News

From February 23 through March 7, the Shorecrest Lower School hosted its first-ever international delegation. We had a group of ten Salvadorian students visiting our Shorecrest community for two weeks. Ten families of Shorecrest third and fourth graders graciously opened their homes to the visitors.

According to Lower School Spanish Teacher Emili Jaime-Allwood, “It was wonderful how both sides, families of American and of Salvadorian students, were great ambassadors of their own cultures. Mothers were cooking Salvadorian food, and families visited a Salvadorian restaurant in Tampa! The children hosting had a great chance to practice their Spanish skills.”

While at Shorecrest, the visiting students made a cultural presentation for the Lower School, in which they spoke about their country's history, culture and performed a traditional Salvadorian dance.

The delegation spent five days in school at Shorecrest, sharing the same schedule, activities, and experiences as their Shorecrest counterparts. Over the remaining four days of the visit, the Salvadorian students enjoyed visiting highlights of the Tampa Bay area, like the Dalí Museum, Chihuly Collection, MOSI, Tampa Aquarium and Lowry Park Zoo.

Sra. Jaime-Allwood says, “It was a great experience for our students to have an international visit. It has helped our students expand their knowledge about appreciating and respecting other cultures with their similarities and difference. It has also helped our school to create a diverse community and to follow our mission: 'we encourage our students to understand and empathize with a diverse range of people both locally and in the broader world.' In this starting program, our students have shown respect, responsibility, integrity, and knowledge, which are our core values as well. I think our Lower School students have taken a big step! Bravo!"

(video clip here)