NHA Schools Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with History Lessons, Games, Food
NHA Communications TeamNHA Communications Team
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National Heritage Academies (NHA) schools throughout nine states celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month in their own special ways. The celebration each year from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 began as a week-long celebration in 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded to a month by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.
The timing is significant as many Central American countries celebrate their national independence days during this timeframe. Below are some highlights from NHA schools that celebrated in their own special ways.
Paragon Charter Academy
In an effort to include multiple grades at Paragon Charter Academy, Sixth to Eighth Grade English Language Teacher Amanda Iott created a game of bingo to help scholars learn about noteworthy and historical Hispanic leaders.
She hung 22 small posters with biography information in the school’s Hallway of Heroes. The information was written all in Spanish, but contained many words which are similar in both Spanish and English. Students received bingo cards with facts about the people, but written in English, and they needed to find the matching posters to complete their cards.
“This is optional of course, but it's a fun way to introduce your students to Hispanic Heritage month and easy Spanish vocabulary,” Iott said. “My sixth graders tested it out and determined the activity is best for third to sixth grades.”
Classes with students who all scored a bingo were promised a popcorn party.
Forsyth Academy
Students and families at Forsyth Academy were treated to a Hispanic Heritage Night at the school, complete with food, crafts, presenters, and displays of artwork and projects by the scholars.
Artwork included drawings of animals and items found in nature with their Spanish names written on them, while projects were presented on Spanish-speaking countries.
“We had an incredible turnout for Hispanic Heritage Night!” Dean of Intervention Sara Overman said. “Thank you to all who attended, contributed, volunteered, or provided support in any way. A special shout-out to Marina Cruz, Danielle Sutton, Sharron Osia, and Cindy Teague for your tireless efforts that started over a month ago.”
Inspire Charter Academy
Jamon Kelson, the K-8 Spanish teacher at Inspire Charter Academy created a video featuring his students as they celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month.
Students learned about the many countries where Spanish is a native language, focusing on culture, food, clothing, and fun facts.
Kelson’s fifth through eighth-grade scholars created presentations about different countries to share with their classes.
Winterville Charter Academy
The Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration at Winterville Charter Academy was highlighted by a live performance from Raises Mexicanas, a local dance troupe. The group performed traditional Mexican dance with flowing, colorful outfits.
Food was provided by Lime and Corn food truck, and scholars played games, worked on crafts, and learned about Hispanic culture.
Great job learning about Hispanic Heritage, NHA schools!
About National Heritage Academies:
National Heritage Academies (NHA) is a network of over 100 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
The timing is significant as many Central American countries celebrate their national independence days during this timeframe. Below are some highlights from NHA schools that celebrated in their own special ways.
Paragon Charter Academy
In an effort to include multiple grades at Paragon Charter Academy, Sixth to Eighth Grade English Language Teacher Amanda Iott created a game of bingo to help scholars learn about noteworthy and historical Hispanic leaders.
She hung 22 small posters with biography information in the school’s Hallway of Heroes. The information was written all in Spanish, but contained many words which are similar in both Spanish and English. Students received bingo cards with facts about the people, but written in English, and they needed to find the matching posters to complete their cards.
“This is optional of course, but it's a fun way to introduce your students to Hispanic Heritage month and easy Spanish vocabulary,” Iott said. “My sixth graders tested it out and determined the activity is best for third to sixth grades.”
Classes with students who all scored a bingo were promised a popcorn party.
Forsyth Academy
Students and families at Forsyth Academy were treated to a Hispanic Heritage Night at the school, complete with food, crafts, presenters, and displays of artwork and projects by the scholars.
Artwork included drawings of animals and items found in nature with their Spanish names written on them, while projects were presented on Spanish-speaking countries.
“We had an incredible turnout for Hispanic Heritage Night!” Dean of Intervention Sara Overman said. “Thank you to all who attended, contributed, volunteered, or provided support in any way. A special shout-out to Marina Cruz, Danielle Sutton, Sharron Osia, and Cindy Teague for your tireless efforts that started over a month ago.”
Inspire Charter Academy
Jamon Kelson, the K-8 Spanish teacher at Inspire Charter Academy created a video featuring his students as they celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month.
Students learned about the many countries where Spanish is a native language, focusing on culture, food, clothing, and fun facts.
Kelson’s fifth through eighth-grade scholars created presentations about different countries to share with their classes.
Winterville Charter Academy
The Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration at Winterville Charter Academy was highlighted by a live performance from Raises Mexicanas, a local dance troupe. The group performed traditional Mexican dance with flowing, colorful outfits.
Food was provided by Lime and Corn food truck, and scholars played games, worked on crafts, and learned about Hispanic culture.
Great job learning about Hispanic Heritage, NHA schools!
About National Heritage Academies:
National Heritage Academies (NHA) is a network of over 100 tuition-free, public charter schools across nine states, serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.