Written By: Liz Johnson, Parent & Friends of Morse International Festival Planning Committee
On Friday October 23rd, the Friends of Morse School (FMS) was proud to sponsor the annual International Festival. As always, we had a fun time celebrating the different countries and cultures of our Morse families. It was great to see so many new faces and taste all the delicious food as we enjoyed music by Gian Carlo.
We had stations set up throughout the lobby where the children could play games, including chopstick races, matching the international currency to the right country, and a race to pick up different shaped pasta using spaghetti. The Art room was set up for arts and crafts. This year the children tried their hands at creating Aboriginal dot art, Japanese carp kites, and decorating hands in the mehndi style. The gym was set up to highlight world sports and everyone got a chance to play some sports that are popular around the world. Throughout the evening, children completed their Morse Culture Scavenger Hunt to learn more about the friends around them.
We were excited to add a few new ideas to the program this year. To further highlight some of the many countries represented at Morse, we asked some families to make country posters, which were displayed in the cafeteria. Julie Messina, who was instrumental in organizing the Disability Awareness Day at Morse the day before, had a table to highlight some of the activities the kids participated in so families could try too. Led by Bouchra Benghomari, three students from CRLS who are part of the UNICEF Club came to highlight some of the work UNICEF does around the world. It’s always a thrill to see former Morse students back where it all began.
Many thanks to all the volunteers and families who participated this year. This is always a fun event to kick off the school year.