Linden Students Celebrate Hispanic and Polish Heritage at School No. 1

According to Linden Public Schools' announcement.

Dominican bachata, Colombian cumbia and Poland's Polonez shared one gym floor on Friday, Oct. 23, as students celebrated Hispanic and Polish heritage together.

Linden Public Schools held its annual heritage celebration in the School No. 1 gymnasium at 728 N. Wood Ave. in Linden. About 100 family members, friends, students and community members came for an evening of dance, music, fashion and food.

The district's Multilingual Department led the evening with the Linden High School International Club. Danie Orelien, director of Multilingual Learners and World Languages, thanked parents for bringing their children. Joining her onstage were lead coordinator Florencia Skorput-Lazur; Tania Miguelez, supervisor of ESL, Bilingual and World Languages; and Stephanie Ross, elementary ESL, Bilingual and World Languages supervisor.

The night capped the district's observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, which ran Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, and Polish American Heritage Month, marked throughout October. Elementary school children opened the program by modeling traditional clothing from about 25 countries, including nations across Central and South America.

Linden High School students performed the dances. Student Emanuel Romero played piano, and sophomore Ninel Alvarado performed on violin.

The Polonez is a traditional Polish processional dance performed at major celebrations, especially proms. Only one of its dancers was Polish. The rest had roots in Haiti, Ecuador, Colombia, El Salvador, Peru, Cuba, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Slovakia and Kenya, among other countries.

For Anna Zolotucha-Skiba, a Linden High School ESL faculty member who advises the International Club with Stephanie Quintero, that mix was the point. "We're a very diverse group," she said. About 46 of the club's roughly 70 members took part.

Rehearsals began in late September. Returning dancers taught freshmen and other newcomers the steps after school. "I value the time they spend with each other because they learn how to collaborate with each other despite the differences that we have," Zolotucha-Skiba said.

Beyond the stage, families explored cultural displays, played trivia games and visited interactive stations on Hispanic and Polish art, history and traditions. Traditional dishes from both cultures were served after the performances.

The district's recap gives no date for next year's celebration. Families with questions about the district's multilingual programs can call the district Welcome Center at 908-486-2800, ext. 80517.

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Source: Linden Public Schools and Linden Public Schools event invitation

Photo: Juan Borcegui / Pexels