My Multicultural Community ~ My Home

Candy, chips and salsa helped bridge the culture gaps at the 5^th Annual Multicultural Share Fair (MCSF) held by NALA at Martin Luther School on Nov. 10, 2010. Approximately a dozen NALA students participated on various levels - with some bringing food and mementos from their home countries and others walking around facilitating conversation among the different peoples attending.  Nearly all of the Martin Luther School students visited the MCSF as teachers took turns bringing their classes to the Fair.

The Martin Luther School eighth grade class participated with their own displays featuring Hannah’s family heritage - Holland, Afton’s summer mission trip to Laos, and Paul’s birth country - Guatemala.

The NALA students have a broad experience with the MCSF.  Some students, like Leah from Taiwan, have participated in years past.  However, the festivities were a fresh experience for others like Lionnel from Benin, West Africa, Carmen from Ecuador, and Margit from Germany.  The colorful displays and artifacts provided an exciting backdrop as the students circled through the transformed dining room.

The dining room world tour began with several tables displaying the Asian mementos of an American couple (grandparents of MLS students Brooklyn and Rebecca) who had lived and worked in Japan.  Here, students had the opportunity to touch a preserved sea turtle and wear a Samurai headdress.  Next stop for the students – Russia, where they learned to say welcome in Russian and see a display of Russian children’s books from the collection of MLS pre-K student Cate whose father is from Russia.

As the taste of the world tour continued, students were exposed to Latin-American drinking vessels that keep water naturally cool without ice, ruffled dancing dresses from Mexico, and pictures of the Castle Neuschwanstein in Germany – the castle that inspired Walt Disney to build Cinderella’s Castle in its image.

With treats including Russian Black Bread, Asian candies, bread made with chocolate, sticky rice, queso dip, salsa and chips, the students were in for a multi-layered experience. 

Displays helped to close the language barrier and connect various cultures into one exciting morning.  Bright kimonos and ruffled dresses, pictures of the Alps reaching into the sky, and maps of lands across the Pacific met for one morning, in the gymnasium of a Christian day school in the heart of Joplin.  But judging by the excitement of both Martin Luther students and NALA students, that meeting will have a long life in the hearts of the attendees.

Recipe for Success

From the heart of Joplin NALA Read

     Ingredients:

·        40 Volunteer Tutors

·        120 Adult Students

·        3 Staff Members

·        A caring Board of Directors

·        $5000 of books and materials

First recruit and train volunteer tutors and provide orientation to adult students who want to improve their reading, writing, math, and/or English as a Second Language (ESL).  Next, match each student with a one-on-one tutor or ESL class.  Help students develop goals - encouraging constantly.  Season with resources needed to reach those goals.  Yields adult learners reaching their full potential, families with a brighter future, and a stronger community.

 S P E L L B A L L 2 0 1 1          C O M I N G     S O O N

Even though the cold weather is here, Spring Training is just around

the corner, and you know what that means.  Spell Ball is coming up, and you’ll want to get your team ready.  Spell Ball will be at Martin Luther School, 26^th & Connecticut, Tuesday evening, March 29^th, 2011.  You can participate in any one of several ways:

            1. Enter a team of three players for $150

            2. Sponsor a team for $150 or help underwrite the costs of the event

            3. Contribute items for a silent auction

            4. Volunteer to help during Spell Ball

            5. Cheer the teams on at the Spell Ball

WANT TO PARTICIPATE?  Call 782-2646 or email joplinnala@123mail.org