East Middle School recently welcomed English Language Learner students to the West Seneca Central School District with a ‘potluck style’ pass-a-plate meal where families and friends shared conversation and food from their own cultures.
Organized and facilitated by the school and the West Senior International Relations Club, the dinner on October 4 brought together the family and friends of the district’s English language learners, as well as various teachers, administrators, and board members.
The potluck represented many different geographical locations, with food sampling from Iraq, Yemen, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Latvia, China, India, Ukraine, Poland, Vietnam, and the U.S.A.
In addition to the sharing of cultures, the dinner also featured the work of teacher Chelsea Gifford as she presented her master’s thesis. Dinner guests were invited to take part in two initiatives, “Tapestry of Hopes” and “The Culture Quilt”, featuring thoughts and images from students new to the country.