Whitehurst Grade 3 teacher Andrea Benitez and her husband, Antonio – joined by their daughter Luciana ’33 – were special guests in Grade 1 October 6. As part of a continued campus-wide focus on Hispanic cultures and countries, the family shared their own cultural experiences with the classes. They exhibited breathtaking photos from Puerto Rico, the country of their family’s heritage. Students remarked how similar some of the buildings and natural settings were to places they’d seen other places.
The Benitez family also talked about Puerto Rico’s El Coqui frog and directed a song and dance about the native amphibian and learned about the island country’s beaches and rainforests. Their visit ended with a sampling of plantain chips and florecitias, a candy.
Prior to the Benitez family’s arrival, Karen Stephens’ Grade 1 class received a gift of empanadas from the family of a peer student from Ecuador. Cristina Andrade and daughter Sara made the delicious chicken and cheese empanadas to share with the class. Students learned about Iguana Park in Ecuador where visitors can feed and pet iguanas. They also learned that Quito is the capital of Ecuador and it is at the center of the world at zero longitude and zero latitude. Hispanic culture is fun, interesting – and often delicious!