Despite the struggles of remote learning, AT students and staff were able to participate in International Fest this year with no problems.
¨We had to get creative this year and have changed a lot in order to be virtual,¨ explained Mrs. Trapani who sponsors the International Club with Mrs. Sutton and Mrs. Pierropoulos. ¨This year, we had staff and professionals record their presentations so that students can view them. Teachers could assign these presentations to students or they could experience them together” she explains further.
This year students were able to participate in International fest by taking part in International Spirit Week, playing “Where in the World is Bucky the Blazer,” creating a slide for a country for the “Dec-a-Slide” competition, and by attending the Language and Travel sessions. It was much different than in previous years where students would attend sessions run by teachers and professionals where they would learn about different cultures and languages.
¨I love learning about different cultures through this event,¨ said senior Jina Patel who has taken part in International Club all 4 years of high school. ¨When we are in school, flags from numerous countries hang on the windows in the commons, and it looks amazing,¨ she continued.
While students were not able to attend sessions in person this year, they were still able to participate in sessions online. These sessions are run by AT staff and Junior Achievement who work with the International Club to teach students about the importance of diversity in our communities. This year students were able to view presentations with their class or by themselves. They were able to listen to different languages and were explained the importance of learning another language and how it can be beneficial for their career.
Created in the summer of 1989, International Fest is a long-standing AT tradition that has withstood the test of time. It was created to showcase the diversity of our district and continues to do that to this day. ¨Our goal has always remained the same: to create a fun educational learning experience so that we can embrace the diversity of our world and celebrate cultures,¨ said Trapani.
