Students, Staff, Families Celebrate Cultural Night

After two years of virtual events, Creekside Elementary School students, staff and families were excited to gather for the PTSA’s first in-person event, Cultural Night. 

“The kids had so much fun,” Principal Amy Allison said. “It was neat to see what rich (cultural) backgrounds our families have. I really loved that we had the opportunity to celebrate together.” 

The event included eight booths representing countries including Bolivia, Brazil, China (2), India (5), Sweden, Egypt, Thailand and Serbia, said Krista Wood, vice president of volunteers for the PTSA. 

Cultural Night Committee co-chair Laura Meserole said, “This event has been one of the most popular events at Creekside and is a wonderful way to connect students, family and staff to share and learn from each other. It's so fun to see kids get excited about sharing special elements of their culture and heritage, and being able to gather as a community only helps students and families feel more connected!” 

Meserole said the turnout was amazing, and that the representatives of each country went above and beyond to make their booths engaging and interactive. “There was a joyful, celebratory feel overall as neighbors and community members were able to enjoy the festivities together,” she said. 

Cultural Night Committee co-chair Luci Andrade said the event is important because it is one way to show all the benefits of a diverse school community. Sharing with one another lends itself to an increased respect for others, knowledge about cultures and strengthening of relationships, Andrade said. “What I realize every year is that the … exchange of experiences is very welcome.  All visitors are very curious and love to try delicious food from around the world.” 

The PTSA provided passports so that students and siblings could visit each booth and get their passport stamped and made goody bags for children to take home. About 150 people attended the March event, Wood estimated.