In the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month Friday, a fiesta broke out at Trimmier Elementary School complete with singing, dancing and heaps of fun during the school’s annual cultural celebration.
Schools across Killeen ISD are recognizing the month dedicated to Hispanic culture with a variety of celebrations and family gatherings.
At Trimmier, a dual language campus, leaders said when faculty return to school before the semester begins, they begin putting together the annual heritage festival.
This year, each grade level chose a Spanish game or song to build their performance around.
The whole school gathered near the end of the day in the cafeteria Friday and each grade level took a turn on stage, many dressed in cultural attire with teachers joining in the fun.
Photos of the Trimmier celebration and other recent Hispanic Heritage events are posed on www.killeenisd.org/photos
Third grade bilingual teacher Iris Poutou was one of the mistresses of ceremonies leading the Trimmier performances.
“We celebrate the contributions of Hispanic countries to this country. We are all here together from all different languages that make up one big family,” she said. “We want everyone to feel a part of this community.”
“I love it. I come from Puerto Rico. It makes me feel proud. We have so many kids from all over the world and this helps them feel a part,” she said.
Assistant Principal Mayda Montero-Bonilla, always a part of the school’s celebration planning, said students love to participate in the annual Hispanic Heritage event.
“Being a dual language school, we want all our students to learn about all the Hispanic cultures,” said Montero-Bonilla.
“All of our kids can participate and that expands their knowledge about people and kindness and how they connect around the world,” she said.
Sometimes, the school highlights famous artists or other Spanish-speaking leaders. This year, they went with traditional Hispanic rhymes, songs and games. “I love it. They did a great job.”