United as one to celebrate culture and diversity
On September 14, School of the Nations celebrated its 39th Nations Festival. Students studied the customs, arts, religions, and history of their chosen countries and honored them with cultural presentations, dances, and art.
From Nursery to Grade 12, each Grade represents a different country. In 2019-20, the countries chosen were Cameroon, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, England, Italy, Japan, Morocco, Netherlands, Oman, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United States.
Before the event, students and staff decorate the school. Every class is responsible for setting up their classrooms and stalls with decorations, such as flags, ornaments, and signs, and displaying their projects and art.
On the day of the Festival as guests visit each country, students stamp a coat of arms in each visitor’s ‘passport,’ which they receive when they enter. In addition to learning about many cultural aspects of the nations represented, the community also gets to savor traditional dishes - from delicious sushi to crunchy churros.
All Grades prepare a cultural presentation. Through traditional song and dance, they create a narrative about important customs of the countries they study. We are one
In 2019-20, the Festival drew 749 family members and friends at our Early Childhood Campus, and at our Main Campus, 2,773. Inspired by our annual theme, ‘We Are One,’ students, parents, and staff learned together about the importance of Unity in Diversity.
Every year, School of the Nations selects an institution to receive donations collected from the entrance fees from our Nations Festival. This year we dedicate these funds to ADCAM (A Associação para o Desenvolvimento Coesivo da Amazônia) in Manaus.