Gig Harbor Academy celebrates Hispanic culture

School honors National Hispanic Heritage Month

Nate Hulings

of the Gateway

Young children waved flags from a multitude of Central and South American countries. Others performed the tango and belted out Spanish-spoken songs. Chants of “Ole! Ole! Ole!” filled the air.

Think you need a vacation to Mexico or Costa Rica to get this type of experience? Think again.

Gig Harbor Academy students and many of their parents spent last Wednesday afternoon celebrating Hispanic culture as part of the third annual Global Hispanic Festival.

From finding the Afro-Cuban band for entertainment to baking 120 empanadas, Xinia Agee, GHA’s Spanish specialist, knows the importance of creating a realistic and meaningful experience for her students.

“Today is the last big deal,” she said while she pulled empanadas out of the oven. “It’s important for kids to know the language and culture.”

During the school year, Agee goes from class to class, teaching Spanish. For the past month, to celebrate Hispanic culture, she’s been coordinating crafts and other educational activities.

Last week’s event was a culmination of National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Hispanic culture is not something the 160 GHA students get only once a year; they experience it three times a week.

Each class in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade has three days of Spanish instruction each week. Cap that with two weekly music sessions, and it’s easy to see the festival’s importance.

“We want to make sure our students are aware of the vibrant cultures that make up our country,” said Vince Fragrasso, head of the school. “The cultural celebration is an important focus.”

The afternoon festival began on the school’s playground basketball court with the third-grade class presenting flags that represented a variety of cultures and people.

The younger children got a chance to show off their Spanish-speaking skills through a song about the color red.

Next up was the fifth-grade class’ much-rehearsed tango routine.

Parents Ron and Valerie Lowe watched their daughter, Brianne, perform the tango with the rest of her class.

“It’s really important for all of our kids to be introduced to other cultures,” said Ron Lowe, who added that education that promotes diversity helps to diminish and prohibit exclusivity.

As for his daughter’s performance?

“She did terrific,” he said. “It was pretty fun.”

Brianne Lowe, 10, said her Mexican grandmother helped her to value different cultures.

The students then sang and moved along to the music and dance of Ponte el Ritmo (Put on Your Rhythm).

With Jeff Busch on the drums and calling out instructions, Elspeth Savani danced to the rhythm. Students echoed Busch’s calls of “Ole! Ole! Ole!” but were less inclined to shake their hips.

“If you stand there, you’re bound to become an iceberg,” he said. “Who wants to be an iceberg?”

A healthy majority of the students’ hands shot into the air.

Shyness was soon replaced with hand waving and jumping up and down, and the chanting continued.