Montessori School Students Celebrate Diversity

November 16, 2000

Source: St. Petersburg Times

On November 16, 2000, the St. Petersburg Times reported that "Students at ComeUnity Montessori School learn about other cultures through hands-on cooking and crafts. Children at ComeUnity Montessori School are encouraged to appreciate the cultural differences in the world while emphasizing the many similarities among people of different countries and religions. One of the ways they do that is with celebrations of a diverse array of holidays. The first one they celebrated this school year was Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year. The children made cards resembling apples for their families...The next holiday was Diwali, the Hindu new year. It is a three-day celebration of light over darkness or goodness over evil...In lieu of Halloween and Thanksgiving, the children celebrated "Orange," Cooper said. It is school policy to downplay the commercial aspects of holidays and focus on the meanings of them. Orange celebrated harvest and fall colors...Coming up are celebrations for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Christmas...To learn more about ComeUnity Montessori School, which serves children in prekindergarten through first grade, visit the school's Web site at "http://www.comeunity-montessori.com".

See also: Interfaith, Schools