The Naugatuck Cultural Council and the Naugatuck Board of Education joined together to sponsor the third annual International Cultural Heritage Night at City Hill Middle School. The Cultural Council Immigrant Youth and Children grant supported the program. This year's celebration of culture was moved to City Hill in order to include more students in the experience and due to the renovations at Naugatuck High School, which had hosted the event the past two years.
The first half of the evening featured interactive displays and exhibits created by Naugatuck students and residents. Mayor Bob Mezzo noted on his blog that the exhibits were intended "to highlight and celebrate the numerous and rich cultural backgrounds that comprise the Naugatuck family." Presenters included residents with roots in Belarus, Brazil, France, Greece, Italy, Laos, Poland, Puerto Rico, Russia and Tibet. Representatives from Hidden Acre Farms, Naugatuck Adult Education, Naugatuck Cultural Council and Naugatuck Historical Society also attended. Activities available included Mehndi hand painting, and country graphing.
And then there was the food, lots and lots of food from many ethnicities. Eighteen students from culinary class at City Hill and eight students from the culinary class at the high school offered various entrees from around the world. Kate Murphy and other Sodexo staff members kept several long tables stocked with hot and cold items, with Ms. Murphy preparing a spicy stir fry throughout the hour.
The second half of the evening featured dance performances in the middle school auditorium. Hip Hop Dancers from Unity Dance Ensemble performed first, followed by five young ladies dancing a Lao American dance dressed in traditional garb. Two girls performed an Irish dance and Unity Dance returned to present a spirited group of African dances. The culminating event was a short video put together by the NHS Video Communications Class featuring a group of ELL students speaking in their native languages and playing on the Hop Brook playground.
ELL teacher Mary Johnson was in charge of all the details for this well-attended event. Congratulations to her on a job well done.
