Every year in February, Parkland holds World Language Week, aiming to celebrate different cultures and highlight the hard work of language students through different games and events.
This year’s festivities included an International Desert Night, Cooking Events (such as salsa making and flambe cooking), a Scavenger Hunt, and a paper mosaic activity. Not to mention the door panel decorating contest, which filled the school with colorful and creative expressions of dozens of cultures. These events were hosted by the different language teachers, including Spanish’s Mrs.O’Donnell, Mrs. Yerger, and Mrs. Wood, as well as Latin’s Mrs. Brown.
Students were also encouraged throughout the week to wear outfits that represent their culture, in the spirit of showcasing the diverse amount of ethnicities and nationalities Parkland is home to. A Showcase slideshow was also made available to the students, which allowed them to add photos and descriptions to a slideshow about a notable item from their country. Many chose to add a dish, like pierogies from Poland, paella from Spain, baklava from Iran, and apfelstrudel from Austria. One student highlighted Hopak, a Ukrainian dance, and another talked about Shalwar Kameez, a Pakistani garment.

This article previously ran in the April print edition.