We celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month every September 15 to October 15. It is a time to recognize and celebrate the many contributions, diverse cultures, and extensive histories of the American Latino community. Starting in 1968, Hispanic Heritage Month was originally observed as “Hispanic Heritage Week” under President Lyndon Johnson, but it was later extended to a month during President Ronald Reagan’s term in 1988.
Since then, we have celebrated Hispanic Culture through festivals, art shows, conferences, community gatherings, and much more. The month also celebrates the independence days of several Latin American countries, including: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua on September 15th, Mexico on September 16th, and Chile on September 18th. They also include holidays that recognize Hispanic contributions such as Virgin Islands-Puerto Rico Friendship Day that is celebrated in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Normally, we would have many activities in classes and in the schools to have celebrations specifically for our students. Unfortunately, at this time we are entirely in the virtual learning environment and cannot have in-person celebrations. Mr. Brady the Supervisor of Social Studies has distributed many virtual activities to the teachers to use in their classrooms. Additionally, Mr. Martinez the Supervisor of World Languages has directed all world language teachers to complete projects highlighting Hispanic Cultures. Please look for these at home and have conversations with your child about these projects and celebrations.
