World Language Week

From March 28th to April 1st, Valley Stream North’s annual World Language Week will occur. The school-wide event, spearheaded by the Language Honor Society and Culture Society, seeks to spread awareness of the cultural diversity within North and heighten school spirits as pandemic restrictions ease.

World Language Week, hosted nationally by many schools and organizations, celebrates cultures and languages from around the globe. Primarily because of North’s unique environment, World Language Week brings important information to students and staff on the variety of our students’ cultures in the building. It highlights the importance of an inclusive school environment. According to the nonprofit organization GreatSchools, a reputable informative source on education around the United States, North’s student population has a wide range of races: 33% of students are White, 26% are Hispanic, 19% are Asian, or Pacific Islander, and 19% are Black. These statistics stress the significance of hosting a culturally celebration week to inform about and highlight the backgrounds of our students and staff.

The Language Honor Society and Culture Society have planned several activities for World Language Week in order to promote the event throughout the entire school:

1. Daily Trivia - Every day on the North Microsoft Teams page, a set of trivia questions based on a selected country will be posted through a Microsoft form. The unique questions will not only introduce a competitive environment to World Language Week but also inform students and staff of interesting facts about countries around the world.

2. Culture Day Event - Language class levels four, five, and Advanced Placement will be invited during their class periods to a fun event in the library that promotes World Language Week. The event will include several activities including dancing, arts and crafts, language lessons, and cultural games. 

3. Culture Night - On April 1st, the biggest event during World Language Week will occur - the annual Culture Night. This event invites North families to learn more about the cultures in the school and attend a wide range of activities. The event will include live performances, a fashion show, and food tasting.

In addition to these events, countries worldwide will be represented with decorations throughout the school and daily informative announcements. The Language Honor Society and Culture Society hope that the North community comes together for this World Language Week, so mark your calendars for March 28th to April 1st!