A memorable event during the 2022-2023 school year was our Cultural Fair that took place in the East Cafeteria. This year, Mr. Demartines and the rest of the staff took a new spin on it: CommUNITY day. Community Day was almost completely different this year, taking place on November 7th, 2023 on election day. Since it was a half-day, the faculty thought it would be a great idea to make it both fun and educational. Student volunteers and staff each hosted a “workshop” in a classroom and students were able to choose two to engage in as a part of their schedule for the day. Some of the workshops included making mozzarella, Chinese lion dance, football around the world, taste of egypt and so much more. In addition to the workshops, there were performances taking place in the auditorium organized by science teacher, Mrs. Partap. These performances included singing, poetry and dancing. Mrs. Partaps believes that “the students that performed showed great courage and pride” and “worked hard to share their heritage with their peers as representative of the diversity we have here at Mepham.” Guest speaker, Mr. Lamar Lee, former basketball player, also spoke in the south gym about the power of words and community building.
Overall, it was a great opportunity for students to learn about different cultures and share their own with their community. Mepham’s assistant principal, Mr. Del Rosario comments, “I think a lot of good people put in a lot of hard work, and it showed. The day was a success because it brought the Mepham community closer, and I think everyone walked away from the day, learning something about themselves and something about someone else!” The festivities have not only connected faculty and staff to diverse traditions, but also allowed others to pridefully display their culture. In all it was well received by students. Junior, Leah Smith said “I had a great time at cultural day learning about different people and events.” Senior Samantha Ramirez (Portillo) said “It was actually interesting learning about all of these cultures that we don’t learn about in school. I wish we could do it for a full day instead of just half.” The day can be marked as a memorable occasion for everyone.
