With colorful costumes, games, crafts, dances and treats, Fox Hollow Elementary students shared their cultural heritage with their classmates and their families. A Multicultural Week, culminating in a Multicultural Night, was organized by the Fox Hollow PTA to promote school unity.

“I wanted a way that we can celebrate that we're all different, and that it's great, and that there are things that we can learn from each other,” PTA President Jenny Patterson said. “And I want everyone to feel proud of where they're at, and that here in the United States we want everyone to be here, and we celebrate diversity.”

Fox Hollow Elementary School has a diverse student body, with students from other countries and students participating in the French dual immersion program in which learning about different cultures is part of the curriculum.

Students play with marionettes at the Mexico booth at Multicultural Night at Fox Hollow Elementary School. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

At Multicultural Night, held at the end of January, students and their families hosted booths representing more than 14 countries and six continents. Their exhibits included various aspects of their country and culture such as art, toys, crafts, books, treats and clothing.

Morris Muhia, who is from Kenya, brought games, maps, jewelry and clothing to display. He was glad his daughter Ella, a sixth grader, had an opportunity to share her family’s culture with her classmates.

“It just kind of shows a different side of her,” he said. “This is what makes her who she is.”

Ella was excited to demonstrate how her family members living in Kenya make jewelry.

“They make their own jewelry out of paper, wire, leather -- and anything they can find,” she said.

Students received stamps in a passport for each booth they visited, which they turned in for prizes donated by local businesses such Pirate O's, Red Balloon Toys, The King's English bookshop and a West Valley theatre.

Second-grader Ashlyn Wells said one interesting thing she learned from visiting the booths at Multicultural Night was that Norwegians “really, really like trolls.”

Melissa Brown and her daughter, Eloise, who is a first grader, hosted the Norwegian booth. Their display included several troll figurines and books about trolls, as well as items painted in the traditional Norwegian style of rose mulling. 

Melissa Brown wears Norwegian bunad costumes with her daughters, Ivy, and Eloise, a first grade student at Fox Hollow Elementary School. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

Brown admitted trolls are a big part of her family’s culture. “We just have been raised with trolls,” she said. “My dad is from Norway, and I've been raised my entire life in the rich culture of Norway. I just think Norway is the greatest and so I wanted to help share that with people—and also tell amazing, scary stories of trolls to children.”

Brown can trace her ancestors back to Eric the Red and Leif Ericson and that knowledge of her heritage has shaped her family’s traditions which she is now passing down to her children. “I think if we can continue that, we should, so we don't forget where our families came from or the things they went through to bring us this life we have,” Brown said.

Many families expressed appreciation for the opportunity to highlight their heritage.

"Being able to celebrate our culture made us feel seen, welcomed and truly feel part of the school community,” Oli Tapia, who hosted a booth about Mexico, said. “We are deeply grateful for a space where our families and traditions are valued."

Megan Park, who brought a quilt and authentic handmade items representing her family’s Hawaiian culture said, "We clearly love our cultures and it means a lot to teach others why we are proud of where we come from. I loved getting to meet new families and it couldn't have happened at a better time."

The night ended with traditional dance performances from Tonga, Ireland and Mexico.

Principal Amy Adams was happy with the school community’s participation and support for the family activity.

Students drew pictures of their families as part of Multicultural Week. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)

“My favorite part about culture night was that it was an event where everyone felt like they could attend and participate,” she said. “My hope is that families who don't typically come to school events feel more welcome and understood and know how valuable they are in our community.”

Patterson said many of the nearly 300 people who attended the event were families who don’t usually attend PTA activities. She believes these kinds of activities benefit students and the community.

“It’s just different ways of reaching out and creating that understanding that a community is not just family, it's also what's around you, and if you are living within that community, you're bringing your past, like what you've learned about what your family traditions are,” she said.

Multicultural Night was preceded by Multicultural Week. Activities to learn about and celebrate various cultures were incorporated into classes throughout the week. Fifth-grader Zoe Wells said it was fun to listen to music from different countries and learn an Irish square dance in her music class. She also learned about other cultures in PE class.

“We learned about some games that they play in different countries, and sometimes we played some of those games,” she said. “We played this game from France, I think, one from Mexico and one from here.”

Students were given a bingo card with activities they could do on their own to encourage them to learn more about their own background and family history as well as other cultures. Zoe filled out a few spots on her bingo card. “On my MP3 player, I listened to this song from Mexico, and that was one of the things-- listen to a song that speaks a different language,” she said.

The Muhia family shares their Kenyan heritage at the Fox Hollow Elementary Multicultural Night. (Photo courtesy Jenny Patterson)