Schools
Rancho Elementary School's 10th Annual Multicultural Day
NOVATO'S RANCHO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CELEBRATES ANNUAL MULTICULTURAL DAY BY EMPHASIZING CHARITY
A Day Packed with Cultural Experiences Gives Kids a Way to Give Back
Rancho Elementary School will celebrate the 10 year anniversary of its annual Multi-Cultural Day on March 10th. The day's festivities will include presentations from 20 different countries, a retrospective of the past themes from the last ten years, and cultural dance and choral performances by Novato students and parents representing Brazil, India, Ireland, and Mexico.
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To ensure that the event reaches beyond the walls of Rancho, the school will also include the Pennies for Peace program. Pennies for Peace is a program of the Central Asia Institute (CAI), founded by Greg Mortenson, author of the #1 New York Times best seller, Three Cups of Tea. CAI promotes and provides community-based education and literacy programs, especially for girls, in remote regions of Central Asia. Founded in 1996, CAI has built nearly 100 schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which serve more than 28,000 students – over 14,000 of whom are girls.
A penny doesn’t buy much in our community, but in the villages of Pakistan and Afghanistan, it can buy a pencil, start an education, and transform a life. Our children broaden their cultural horizons, while learning the value of philanthropy by collecting pennies for global peace. Since 1994, more than two hundred million pennies have been raised.
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The goal is to raise $600, which equals one teacher’s annual salary. Collection jars have been placed in each classroom, and will also be collected throughout the month of March to give the kids enough time to reach their goal.
"There is a sense of great pride every year when the students come dressed in traditional costumes and represent a country, sometimes two, with their teachers and fellow students. Every child feels acknowledged and celebrated," said event co-chair, Dina Stathis.
Students will tour the world visiting 20 different country stations from 8:30 AM until 12:00 PM. Attendees will also have a chance to see the many different themes from the Multicultural Day events from the past ten years. Dance and choral performances will be at 1:05 PM and 2:00 PM.
