Crestwood Elementary Students Share Their Native Cultures

At least 15 countries are represented in the student body of . Last Thursday, the Crestwood students toured and learned about each one of them during the school’s third annual Cultural Day and Evening Celebration.

Students and parents sampled food, played games and participated in crafts from the 15 countries represented in the student body, such as Bosnia, China, Japan, Uzbekistan, Somalia, Iraq, Albania, Russia, Mexico, India, Vietnam and Korea.

Students and parents also toured several booths, which represented the native home of a student in Crestwood’s English Language Learners program, and many students dressed up in their native dress for the day.

Crestwood Elementary’s principal Scott Taylor said the event was a great opportunity for students to learn about the rich cultural diversity of the school and of the country.

“It’s so important for our students to learn about where their classmates are from,” Taylor said. “Our ELL students are also very open and proud about their background and culture.”

Beth Bridwell, ELL teacher, organizes the annual event so that students can have fun learning about their classmates who did not grow up in the United States, she said.

Bridwell said that the school’s ELL’s program also helps students who do not have English as a first language to transition into school more smoothly.

“They learn so fast,” Bridwell said. “They immerse themselves in school and, often times within a year, they are speaking English fluently.”

Bridwell, who is a mother of two, said she wants her students and her own children to grow up in a diverse world.

“I want them to be around kids who look different from them,” Bridwell said. "We should celebrate diversity."