School Features

Families shared the traditions, clothing, food and art of their heritages at Odyssey Elementary on Thursday during the school’s Art and Heritage Fair.

Students and their families visited booths Apr. 15 showcasing different heritages and cultures of the world, including Irish, Filipino, Mexican, Jamaican, Russian, Japanese, Greek and Dutch.

The booths, set up in the school’s multipurpose room, invited families to color Celtic knotwork patterns, fold origami, watch an American quilter at work, view African-inspired art and learn about the cookery of traditional Mexican dishes, among other multicultural displays.

In addition to the booths, families also performed songs and dances that represent their culture, including Jamaican and Filipino. 

“I like to see the different people and their heritages that come here [to Odyssey],” fifth grader Kulsum Khan said.  “It’s really interesting and entertaining to watch the dancers and singers show their culture.”

Kernadine and Nathasha Mullings from Mariner High School perform their original reggae song “We are the Future” during the Art and Heritage Fair at Odyssey Elementary.

Teachers at Odyssey saw a need for an annual heritage fair to acknowledge and celebrate the school’s increasingly diverse community, so they turned their annual Art Fair into the Art and Heritage Fair in 2007.

“We’re very diverse,” principal Cheryl Boze said.  “We have probably 25-30 different languages spoken in our school. Our kids come to us from all around the world, [so] we’re diverse in terms of ethnic, religious and cultural heritage.” 

The fair’s sponsors, the Odyssey PTA and the Art and Heritage Committee, offered free ice cream to students and their families.

Fourth grader Jehiel Mullings performed the song “Apologize” by OneRepublic on the keyboard.  He said he said he chose the song because it sounded sad, and he likes sad songs.

Kindergartener Siddiq Khan folds an origami balloon with the help of Kamiak senior Sue Choi at the Japanese booth during Odyssey’s Art and Heritage Fair. His sister Kulsum, a fifth grader, learns how to fold an origami frog in the background.

“I was scared to look at everyone [in the audience], so I stopped looking at everyone and just started to play,” Mullings said.  “It was hard [to sing] because the mike was moved too far over, but I think it went OK.

Other performances at the fair included the original reggae song “We are the Future” by Mullings’ sisters Natasha and Kernadine, a sophomore and junior from Mariner; a traditional Filipino song by fifth graders Sky and Paula Butlay and their sister Sandra, a Mariner sophomore; and traditional Mexican dancing by students from the district.

Third grader Katelyn Anderson shows off the traditional costumes and dolls of Holland at her family’s Dutch booth at Odyssey’s Art and Heritage Fair.

Fifth grader Eddy Katynskiy said learning how to fold origami at the Japanese booth was cool.  He made a paper balloon with the help of Japanese-language students from Kamiak.

“It’s really nice to see a lot of families from different countries show their different dances and what their heritage is at the different stations,” he said.  “The origami was my favorite.”

Jonathan Nguyen, a Kamiak junior and Japanese-language student, taught Odyssey families how to fold origami cranes, ninja stars, fortune tellers, frogs and balloons.  He said he hoped they gained a better understanding of art thanks to the Japanese booth.

“I like the Art and Heritage Fair because you’re exposing kids to different kinds of culture,” he said.  “You’re showing diversity in different ways.  It’s a way of showing kids there is no one culture that is dominant.  We all live on the same planet, and we all have our own ideas.”

Students from the Mukilteo School District perform traditional Mexican dances during Odyssey’s Art and Heritage Fair. 

An art gallery showcasing student artwork – with artistic inspirations ranging from Picasso to Native Americans – was also set up.

Second grader Guadalupe Guzman went straight to the art gallery when she arrived with her family.  She wanted to show her uncle the Picasso-like drawing she made of her mom.

“I [drew] my mom wearing earrings and cut it up and mixed it up because our teacher told us about a man that draws pictures that are all mixed up,” she said.  “I like the drawings.”

Elena Eremenko shows third grader Savannah Robinson and her mom Susan a book fourth graders in Russia use to learn English at the Russian booth at Odyssey’s Art and Heritage Fair

Students could also select a free book courtesy of the school’s Page Ahead grant.  Page Ahead is a program funded by the federal non-profit Reading Is Fundamental that offers three books a year to students to promote literacy.

Kindergartener Siddiq Khan blows up the origami balloon he folded at the Japanese booth at Odyssey’s Art and Heritage Fair.

Art and Heritage Fair is a great celebration of heritage, culture and art for families that gives them an opportunity to connect with Odyssey’s diverse community, Boze said.

“It’s just a wonderful community-building event,” she said.  “It brings us together as a community and helps us celebrate and appreciate the difference and similarities in our backgrounds.”

Second grader Guadalupe Guzman shows her uncle Leonel Sanchez the Picasso-like drawing she made of her mom in the art gallery at Odyssey’s Art and Heritage Fair.