Sope Creek Elementary

1. Sope Creek Elementary International Week at Sope Creek • January 19 – 22 • To: Parents, Teachers, and Staff • From: PTA Diversity & Inclusion Committee • Wendy Stewart (wendywstewart@gmail.com) • Megen Barr (megenbarr@hotmail.com) • Parents, teachers, and staff play a vital role in driving home the messages of International Week. Our schedule of events is provided below. Talk with your kids about International Week and what it means. Review the schedule with them and help build the excitement by encouraging participation in the week’s activities. • All week • Focus on all things international! Talk to your children about our wonderful world and what it means to be a global citizen. • Monday, January 18 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – SCHOOL HOLIDAY – Day of Service • In 1994, Congress initiated the King Day of Service, transforming the federal holiday honoring Dr. King into a national day of community service grounded in his teachings of nonviolence and social justice. The aim is to make the holiday a day “ON”, rather than just a day off, where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to improve lives, bridge social barriers, and move our nation closer to the “Beloved Community” that Dr. King envisioned. Get your family involved in an act of giving today! • Tuesday, January 19 – Peacemakers Day • The more we learn about other cultures and countries, the more we understand them. The more we understand about other cultures, the greater our chances for peace. Today students will participate in activities that demonstrate what peace means and learn about world leaders who have helped bring peace to our world. • Wednesday, January 20 – Celebrate Your Heritage Day/Poster Contest • Whether your family is brand new to the United States or your ancestors have been here since the Mayflower arrived, all our Sope Creek families have rich heritages of which to be proud! • Help your child find a great way to share your heritage with their classmates (follow teacher instructions where applicable). • Encourage your child to enter our “Celebrate Your Heritage” poster contest (see back of this page for details)! • Thursday, January 21 – Sister Cities Day • Did you know that Marietta and Cobb County have three International Sister Cities? Today students will learn more about our three sister cities, with each grade level focusing on a particular city. • K & 1st – Linz am Rhein, Germany • 2nd & 3rd – Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea • 4th & 5th – Heredia, Costa Rica • Friday, January 22 – International Awareness Day/International Festival • Throughout the day, students will have a chance to learn a little about what life is like for kids just like them in countries across the globe. Then, join us for the Sope Creek International Festival from 6 to 8 pm for a great International Week finale! There will be great cultural performances throughout the evening, samples of international foods, folk-tales, cultural activities and displays, and international silent auction items on which to bid.

2. Celebrate your Heritage!Poster Contest Information Our Sope Creek Family is made up of lots of wonderful people whose families come from amazing places all over the world. And whether your family is brand new to our country or they’ve been here since the time of the Pilgrims, we want to learn about you and celebrate your heritage! Enter our “Celebrate Your Heritage” Poster Contest to tell us about your family’s heritage. Here’s what you’ll need to do: • Talk with your family about your heritage (parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc.) – what countries your family came from, what life was like there, why your family members may have come to the United States. • Create a poster that you think best represents your family’s heritage. You can use photographs, maps, draw pictures, anything as long as it tells us about you and your family and what’s important to represent about your heritage. • Bring your poster in to school on Wednesday, January 20, with your name and teacher’s name clearly printed on the back. Posters will be collected and judged by our “distinguished panel of experts” based on creativity and your interpretation of the theme “Celebrate Your Heritage.” • All posters submitted will be displayed for the remainder of International Week, including during the International Festival, for everyone to see. Winners will be announced on Friday, January 22. Posters will be returned the following week. Have fun creating and good luck! Questions? Sope Creek PTA Diversity & Inclusion Committee Wendy Stewart (wendywstewart@gmail.com) Megen Barr (megenbarr@hotmail.com)