On November 2nd, Señora Terrell’s Spanish class visited other classrooms and sang for Día De Los Muertos, also known as Day of the Dead. This is a Hispanic holiday that celebrates the passing of loved ones by singing, dancing, and many other different things.
Terrell started celebrating Día De Los Muertos with students because she thought she should bring more Hispanic culture into the school. “Not all the 8th graders get to take Spanish because of their schedules so it was a way of sharing their culture and 8th grade Spanish students highlighting what they are learning during class,” she said. Terrell was once a student herself and wanted to learn more about Spanish. “Honestly, I got the songs from one of my mentor teachers who taught me about this holiday and celebration, so I used them because it’s tradition.”
One of Terrell’s Spanish students, 8th grader AJ Monreal-Anderson, was one of the students who performed for other classes. “It was pretty interesting and fun to learn about,” said Monreal-Anderson. “It was fun going around and spreading the spirit,” Monreal-Anderson said.
Everett Un, another Spanish student, was a little less comfortable with singing in front of others. “It was awkward when I went into the Media for 8th grade, but it wasn’t for 7th, it was more awkward for 8th because I knew more people.”
Even though singing in front of peers might have been awkward for some students, the holiday itself holds great importance in Hispanic culture.
