Unity born from diversity

LACEY - Between the Arabic and Korean calligraphers, a first-grader singing nursery songs in Chinese, students folding origami paper cranes and others wrapping "ojos de dios" symbols, Pleasant Glade Elementary School kindergartner Jaylynn Jones, 6, did her part to celebrate the multiculturalism of her school.

“I liked the Chinese singing,” she said. She also liked looking at pictures of Barbados, the island country where another Pleasant Glade family originates.

The elementary school conducted its first Multicultural Celebration Thursday night. The school has significant populations of students with diverse ethnicities and cultures – about 36 percent of the student body are children of color – but has never before held a special evening to share their cultures, said third-grade teacher Adina Brito.

“We have a larger Muslim population, a larger Spanish (speaking) population, a larger Asian population,” she said. “This is a celebration of our different cultures, as well as a celebration of our unity.”

Brito said that when she put the call out to parents to volunteer their time for an activity or a dish to share, parents jumped at the opportunity. The event was made possible with a grant from the North Thurston School District’s Multicultural Advisory Council.

Abdul Manaf, vice president of the Islamic Center of Olympia, said many of the mosque’s families have a child who attends Pleasant Glade, and they were eager to help out.

“Actually, the parents, they want to be participating in their kids’ activities. They are always looking to be involved,” he said, adding that the mosque’s families come from many different countries.

Jordan Rosas and Bart Shaw, sixth-graders, showed their schoolmates how to make origami cranes in the Japanese tradition of paper folding.

One of Rosas’ teachers plans to make a mobile out of the cranes the students made Thursday, he said.

Rosas said that while students are aware of the cultural diversity at Pleasant Glade, last week there was more of a focus.

Jaylynn Jones’ mother, Becky, said she was glad her daughter has a chance to learn more about her classmates.

“She can learn the different cultures of the children she goes to school with and how they go do everyday life,” she said.

“What’s gained is tolerance,” said David Jones, Jaylynn’s father. “The children, they like each other. They play with each other. That trains the parents to be more tolerant, and you leave here with your mind opened.”

Venice Buhain: 360-754-5445

vbuhain@theolympian.com

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