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McKinley hosts feast of food and family
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .For many McKinley students, Nationality Day was a family affair. Student Meredith Lea (center), who researched her Swiss heritage, received plenty of help from her mom, Susie Lea (left) and grandma Gloria Tudor.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .McKinley student Mackenzie Holloway researched her British heritage for her nationality project, and wore a traditional dress for Nationality Day on May 11.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Pals Ryan Churlik (left) and Billy Orr celebrated their Irish and Hungarian heritage, respectively, during McKinley Elementary's May 11 Nationality Day.
By SARAH FOOR
Students in British Tudor gowns, Roman togas, lederhosen and Lebanese dresses could be found roaming the halls of McKinley Elementary on May 11. The cultural dress accompanied a feast of foods from around the world during the school’s annual Nationality Day.
The event was the culminating activity of a nationality research paper in the social studies classrooms of teachers Linda Angelo and Thad Wright.
The students start their reports in January, completing research on one country of their origin and sharing what they’ve learned from investigating their own genealogy.
“The project is a lot about geography and how the movement of people, goods and ideas make a unique culture. However, we hope that the students learning about their own history and many other countries in the world, they appreciate the differences between all people,” Angelo said of the project.
“This is a good age for the kids to research their genealogy and it’s wonderful to see so many family members here today to support the kids and their projects,” added Wright.
Student Kaitelyn Smith researched her German heritage for the project and heard tales from her great-grandmother and her family during World War II.
“My great-grandmother sent photos of my family during that time which was really cool. She said that many of her relatives didn’t survive the war, so it made me feel really lucky to be part of the family that survived,” she said.
Although Meredith Lea researched her Swiss background, both sides of her family were helpful during the project. Her dad, Craig, worked on the genealogy with his daughter, researching his Swiss background and maternal grandmother, Gloria Tudor, helped cook the food she brought to the feast.
“It was really great to have her explore our history together and have her be part of the process. Nationality Day is a very unique opportunity for every family,” Craig Lea said.