FITCHBURG — Reingold Elementary School resonated with the exchange of cultural expression during the Wednesday evening event Thankful for Our Cultures, a free night of entertainment, dinner and learning.
Fitchburg Public Schools’ Deborah Hooper and Luisa Fernandez coordinated the evening, but acknowledged the team effort by school staff, building maintenance, and school resource officers to bring the night together.
Most notably, she thanked the groups that brought culture into the evening.
“Thank you…to the Finnish dance group, Revontulet, for its lovely performance…to FHS student Diego Barahona, who delivered a fantastic singing and dance presentation, the United Hmong of Massachusetts for an informative display, beautiful costumes and splendid choreography, and US Taekwondo for a thrilling demonstration that captivated the audience,” said Hooper, also recognizing DJ David Suarez and Longsjo School music teacher Nathanael Blankenship for his saxophone performance.
Interim Superintendent Jon Thompson, Interim Assistant Superintendent Glenda Colon and Sodexo Food Services served well over 200 guests to a turkey dinner topped off by some delicious desserts.
“What a tremendous night to bring our community even closer together,” Thompson said. “There were so many smiles and it was heartwarming to see.”
Hooper said that the several amazing performances were thoroughly enjoyed by everyone in attendance.
“It was a fun-filled evening for our families to learn about other cultures and enjoy a delicious meal together,” Hooper said. “So many people worked behind the scenes to bring this event to life.”
Along with dinner, students created arts and crafts from different cultures, looked at student displays and received goodie bags and free books.
“We are thankful for our families and our students,” co-coordinator Luisa Fernandez said. “Once again our families came out for a fun time where we ate, danced, laughed and created memories together. It truly fills my heart to know that families support us and are excited to participate in their children’s activities. Let’s keep working together to bring fun times and activities to our district.”
