Fair Gives Shaw Students A Look At Foreign Cultures

Red in the Cuban flag is for the people. In the Kyrgystan flag, it’s the universe. Ukranian red is fire.

In Laos, it is impolite to point your foot at a stranger. In Russia, it is the norm to question a stranger.

At Shaw Middle School last week, it was cool to know the differences. Knowledge was hip, ignorance was not.

“This is educating the American students,” said teacher Bee Vue, pointing to the maps, flags and foreign alphabets pinned to the gym walls.

The Shaw multicultural fair, hosted by the school’s English as a Second Language program, displayed the history, geography and culture of 15 countries. At least one student in Shaw’s ESL program comes from each country represented in the fair.

Most of the students are from countries in the former Soviet Union. But don’t get Belarus mixed up with the Ukraine now.

“Not Russian - Ukraine,” seventh-grader Valentin Borisyuk said indignantly when asked his nationality.

A large group of Vietnamese students tried to explain the intricacies of their language’s five tones. The tones are very slight inflections - almost indistinguishable to a Westerner’s ear - that can totally alter the meaning of a word.

In Hanoi, the students said, there is a melting pot of languages, with French, Russian and English heard on the streets.

The students said their American peers frequently ask questions about Vietnam.

“They are interested in our country - our land, our people, our food,” said Nhi Pham, a Rogers High School sophomore who helped younger students for the day.

The subtleties of cultural tolerance are not lost on Bosnians Alma and Jasminka Druzic, who immigrated eight months ago.

In broken English, Alma said they had lived through three years of war and remember clearly the sound of incoming bombs.

“People want Bosnia to be one country, one people, one government,” said Alma, a seventh-grader.

Their display included a family Koran written in Serbo-Croatian, a lace doily made by an aunt who is still in Bosnia, and a children’s book.

“I want my friends,” said Alma.

ESL teacher Dianne Fischer said many students were nervous about their presentations but glowing afterward.

“This lasts a long time,” she said.

Fischer said she learns new things about foreign cultures daily, but she chuckles about the wonder some express when they walk into ESL programs.

“I’m always surprised when people see it as a novelty,” said Fischer.

Mead jazz groups tops

With the help of a couple of good bus drivers, members of the Mead jazz band and choir took top honors at the University of Idaho’s Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival last weekend.

The Mead group made it to the Moscow, Idaho, festival in spite of slippery, snowy roads that kept other schools away.

Once there, the jazz choir won first, the jazz band took second, a girls’ choir placed second and a six-student singing group took third in the AAAA category for schools with more than 1,500 students. Twelve schools from Washington, Idaho and Oregon were in that category.

“This is the first time in 14 years that I have been with a group that won the AAAA division,” said choir coach David Teal. “That was pretty exciting.”

Individual honors were also dished out.

Junior Marty Stainbrook was named an outstanding bassist and Christian Krehbiel an outstanding drummer as they backed up the choir.

During the choir’s award-winning performance, junior Heather Ross sang a solo on “Don’t Misunderstand Me,” and senior Kashana Cox soloed on “Love For Sale.”

The band and choir practice at 7 a.m. every morning.

“It takes a lot of dedication to get up that early, let alone get up and sing,” Teal said.

The bus drivers who braved bad roads to get them all to the jazz festival were: Dave Skellie, Dick McCartney, Suzan Ross, David Powell, Arnold Scholl and Dale Miller.

Lakeside schedule popular

A survey of Lakeside High School parents, students and faculty turned up very positive comments about the school’s four-period-day schedule.

Almost 90 percent of the junior class said they wanted to keep the schedule, and about 85 percent of the parents of seniors were satisfied with the quality of their children’s education.

The survey was part of a three-year review. Because of the positive response, the district is likely to maintain the schedule.

Community meeting scheduled

Citizens concerned about the problems of area youths should attend a community meeting hosted by a group developing a Spokane County Youth and Family Comprehensive Plan.

The first meeting will be today at Shadle Park High School. An open house for youth services groups starts at 6 p.m., and a formal presentation and discussion starts at 8 p.m.

For more information, call 325-3220.

Ridgeview student a winner

Ridgeview Elementary fifth-grader Jenna Brown said that winning the Fit For Bloomsday design competition “is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me.”

Her design was selected in a Spokane School District competition.

Included in the prize is a pizza party for about 45 students.

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MEMO: Education Notebook is a regular feature of the North Side Voice. If you have news about an interesting program or activity at a North Side school or about the achievements of North Side students, teachers or school staff, please let us know. Write: Jonathan Martin, Education Notebook, North Side Voice, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210. E-mail: jonathanm@spokesman.com. Call: 459-5484. Fax: 459-5482.