By Jim Davis - Florida Catholic
Each attendee at St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024, got a passport.
Lorena Cajas puts a sticker for Mexico in a clogger's passport at St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
Two pre-kindergarten students show off national stickers at St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024, got a passport. From left are Amelia Justo and Lili Ortiz.
Thomas Cogozzo tells a student about artifacts at the Colombia table during St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
An etched wooden map of Puerto Rico is among the items at St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
A wall decoration is among the items at the Panama table for St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
A purse, a flute and a toy llama are among the items at the table for Bolivia at St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
Sandals are among the items at the table for El Salvador at St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
Tortillas and an ornament for the annual Festival of the Dead are among the items at the Mexico table for St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
Miki Busscher shows fourth-grader Seyram Kofi-Nyarko how to use chopsticks at the table for Japan during St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
Fifth-grader Zachary Vomsaal shows his hopping origami frog at the table for Japan during St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
A dancer with Polynesian Proud Productions teaches students and parents during St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
Members of the South Florida Cloggers dance at St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
Members of Ballet Folklore Aires Panamenos dance during St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
Members of Ballet Folklore Aires Panamenos dance during St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024. They include Yaritza French, captain of the festival, and dance partner John Bury.
Members of Ballet Folklore Aires Panamenos dance during St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
Students watch the show at St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024. From left are eighth-graders Bailey Inman and Kylie McGowan and first-grader Madison Proulx.
Kindergartner Catalina Rodriguez strums a guitar in front of the flag for Venezuela at St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
Luis Vallejo, running the Ecuador table, embraces his granddaughter, kindergartner Rosabelle Bello Vallejo, at St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
Kindergartner Isabel Morris poses with grandmother Mayra Pla at St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
Students march in the Parade of Flags at St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
Students march in the Parade of Flags at St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024. From front to back are first-graders Leah Cogozzo, Shannon McGowan and second-grader Marina Bello Vallejo.
First-grader Donovan French waves a Panamanian flag at St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
Pre-kindergartner Lucas Rodriguez takes part in the Parade of Flags at St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
Students wave their banners at the end of the Parade of Flags at St. David School's cultural celebration Jan. 28, 2024.
Photography: Jim Davis
DAVIE | Students and parents from more than a dozen nations took part in the second annual culture festival at St. David School, part of their Catholic Schools Week celebration.
The Jan. 28, 2024, festival took place at the school's sheltered Activity Center following the church's 10 a.m. Mass. About 250 students, parents, friends and family members attended.
They first visited a welcome table to get “passports” to the festival. Once inside, they visited exhibits decorated with maps, pamphlets, factsheets and artifacts of the lands. At each table, a representative added a small round sticker to each passport.
Included were such diverse countries as Ghana, Bolivia, Japan, Jamaica, Ecuador and El Salvador. Students and their parents alike dressed in indigenous garb.
Entertainment included Polynesian and Panamanian dance companies, plus members of the South Florida Cloggers.
Three food trucks – serving the likes of gyros, meatballs and barbecue ribs – added a literally international flavor to the event. A fourth truck sold ice cream for dessert.
The three-hour festival wrapped up with a Parade of Flags, with children marching twice around the shelter waving small flags of their homelands.
