2007B Fall.qxp - Stanstead College

OUR SCHOOL
celebrating our diversity at United Nations Day
Stanstead College students shared their cultures and
customs with visiting schoolchildren on March 22 at
United Nations Day.
Roughly 200 Grade 6 students from Vermont and
the Townships toured various pavilions located
throughout the College, created and manned by
Stanstead’s multicultural student body.
In Asia, for example, children made origami, had
their names written in Chinese lettering and learned
about traditional games, food and clothing.
The smell of burning sweet grass and sage wafted
out of the First Nations pavilion, where students
enjoyed bannock, heard stories and saw traditional
clothing and jewelry.
Games and music were the highlight of the Quebec
pavilion, while in Mexico students learned how the
Day of the Dead is celebrated and took away spicy
Mexican candy.
There were also student-run displays for Germany,
France, Scotland and Australia.
The visitors enjoyed performances by the school’s jazz band
and choir, learned about the various clubs and community service
programs, designed postage stamps, and sat down to an international
lunch in the cafeteria.
Based on the thank-yous and comments received from the visiting
students, the event was a success.
“I really think you should do this again because it was perfect,”
wrote one student.
Krista Blackned, Rita Montour and Melissa Gilpin prepare bannock at the First
Nations pavilion.
“I liked the First Nations because I am part Indian and learning
about our ancestors was really neat,” wrote another.
“It was cool to see how and what you do at school and especially
to learn about what other countries eat,” and “I liked
Germany because the chocolate and the girl was pretty. The festival
that she showed my group was… uh… kind of weird. I’m
probably not use to it,” were some of the more amusing comments.
The last word goes to a visiting teacher from Burke Town
School in Vermont:
“The day after the
event, we asked the students
if they thought that
future 6th grade classes
should attend, should we
be invited, and every student
felt that it was an
opportunity not to be
missed.”
Kelly Wang demonstrates a Chinese yoyo at the Asian pavilion.
Judith Golmitzer offers students
a taste of Germany in
the Europe pavilion.
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