CELEBRATING DAY OF THE DEAD

Today’s Día de los Muertos celebration is a mash-up of pre-Hispanic religious rites and Christian feasts. It takes place on November 1 and 2— All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on the Catholic calendar —around the time of the fall maize harvest. (Source: National Geographic website )

Our fifth graders prepared for this celebration with Señora Lee in Spanish class and with Mrs. Valdepenas in Library class by creating ofrendas and beautifully decorated calaveras (pictured below) that were dedicated to a departed person close their hearts. In addition to conducting interviews with a family member, students also wrote about and read their dedications in audio recordings to be shared with their parents.

Sixth graders marked Día de los Muertos by a special celebration in Middle School Spanish class with Señora Bordas!