Kids Not Scared by New Cultures
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Students at the Mission Parish School left their scary Halloween costumes at home Friday and instead slipped into kangaroo suits, Indian saris, Carmen Miranda-style fruit headdresses and Chinese pantsuits.
“We took all the gore out of Halloween,” Vice Principal Jeanne Aubertin said.
For the last 10 years, the private school has organized United Nations Day to teach students about world cultures while still allowing them to enjoy the spirit of the season by dressing in costume.
Festivities began in early October when students began learning about social studies, literature, religion, architecture, music and art related to the country their grade was studying. They learned arts and crafts, games and dances associated with their chosen nation.
Finally, on Friday, students donned their costumes and paraded to the sounds of “It’s a Small World.” Fourth-graders performed a Chinese dragon parade for the first time at the school, which garnered kudos from physical education teacher Caroline Argo.
“I guess that was a success,” she joked from the loudspeaker. “The head didn’t come off, the tail didn’t come off and nobody fell down.”
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