The recent United Nations Day celebration of the Grade 1 students of the University of Saint La Salle was a remarkable educational and sensory journey of the various cultures, traditions and delicacies from different countries around the globe. This immersive experience created a lasting impression on these young children, with one Japanese-themed classroom greeting teachers in unison “KONNICHIWA!”
That day, some parents and grandparents of these children enthusiastically joined in by arriving early to decorate their classrooms, transforming these learning centers into vibrant cultural hubs. When the kids arrived at school that day, their eyes grew big with excitement! The smiles on the kids’ faces were priceless. Each classroom transported them to a wonderful country. The classrooms came alive with decorations like tropical leaves, woven mats, national costumes, and outfits and flags of their chosen countries. On the ceiling hung colorful banners reflecting the festive atmosphere. Even their teachers, headed by their Grade school level perfect Diaren Marie Gallana, were all dressed for the occasion.
Among the highlights of the celebration were the various cuisines prepared by the parents for the students to enjoy the meal together. There was sushi from Japan, kimchi from Korea, lechon and ice cream from the Philippines, noodles from Thailand, steamed buns from Thailand and so much more! Each dish was meticulously labeled with the name of the delicacy and its country of origin, a truly educational and gastronomic treat to these young minds.
In the words of Youssef Yuan Ang Caram, who prepared an article on the event:
“My classmates and I went to school wearing costumes of different countries of the world. It was a day of fun! After the flag ceremony, everybody went to the La Salle Coliseum. The coliseum was filled with students and we watched a movie together. After the movie, we went back to our classrooms in a straight line from smallest to tallest. When we reached our classroom all my classmates were surprised because the room was filled with decorations and the tables were full of delicious food. There were so many flags being displayed from the Philippines to Malaysia, from Thailand to Japan. Ms. Riza turned on the TV and we watched Garfield the movie. We played Filipino games inside the classroom and ate ice cream.”*
