Kindergarten through second grade students performing the Mexican Hat Dance.

First And Second Grade students from Strain-Japan School singing for the “cruise” travelers.

Sean Rackley and his chihuahua entertaining the crowd.

Strain-Japan’s annual multicultural event this year focused on the country of Mexico. Students in grades K-8 and their guests boarded the ship, the SS Strain-Japan, to begin their cruise to this neighbor to our south.
Stops along the way included listening to the first and second graders sing “Las Mañanitas” and hearing the middle school band play “Mexican Melody.” In addition, the middle school choir sang “Los Días de Semana,” and the kindergarten through second graders performed the “Mexican Hat Dance.” Seventh and eighth graders danced to “La Cucaracha” prior to the fifth and sixth graders dancing to “La Raspa.” Third and fourth graders had everyone’s attention while dancing the “Macarena.”
Other destinations afforded to the cruise members were pointed out by the ship’s captain, James Susnic, III. Tourists visited displays that highlighted Mexican artwork, the culture, instruments, holidays, and charts with statistical data that had been created by the middle school math classes. Student visitors were chosen at random to break open the piñatas that had been filled with candy, toys, and fun surprises.
The evening concluded with everyone having the opportunity to sample Mexican cuisine.
Each class had contributed to helping all of us gain a better understanding of Mexico, from learning a few words of the language to seeing how the daily life there compares to ours. The trip’s mascot, a Chihuahua, belonging to Señor Rackley, made the excursion even more enjoyable.