Issue link: https://publications.tfs.ca/i/1095616
El día de los Muertos at TFS ON NOVEMBER 1, our Grade 6 and Grade 7 Spanish course students sported bright colours to take part in a traditional Mexican celebration, El día de los Muertos. During these festivities, recognized by UNESCO as part of the intangible cultural heritage, Mexicans recognize their deceased. This day is far from being a sad one, as it is believed that the souls of the dead continue to live on in the afterlife, returning to their homes on that one day. Mask-making, a research and creation project in Spanish class, and the staging of "altares" in honour of well-known Hispanic and Latin American figures were all part of the day. La settimana Italiana DURING ITALY WEEK LAST SPRING, La p'tite école and Junior School students were provided with a glimpse into Italian culture. Families were greeted by Marko, the accordionist, and our Italian families generously offered espresso, cannoli, zeppole and pizzelle to the community. Parent volunteers decorated the school and put together a wonderful display of Italian items. In mentorship sessions, students learned about Italian art and culture, and at an assembly, students got to watch and learn the traditional tarantella dance. INTERCULTURAL LEARNING LEVEL III, IV AND V SPANISH STUDENTS held a series of in-class Tertulias Literarias last spring, a Hispanic academic tradition where participants meet to discuss literary, social and/or historical texts. To share their learnings more widely, they launched a literary blog. The goal was to explore a global context through Hispanic literature and music, with themes such as identity; personal relations; cultural expression; time and space; indignation; health; and economic development and social equity. SWITZERLAND EXCHANGE SINCE 2015, our Grade 7 West Campus students have participated in an exchange with students from Switzerland. The classes get to know each other through written notes and Skype meetings, and then they travel to Switzerland to stay with their host family in March, where they attend classes at the Florimont Institute and tour the city. This year, their Toronto peers will also join them on the exchange. The group will visit the United Nations and Red Cross Museum, participate in a chocolate workshop, tour the Gruyères castle, visit Chamonix in France, and discover the History of Sciences museum. After the exchange is complete, with the Swiss students visiting TFS, they find that they have grown in their autonomy and developed their perspective of the world around them. 9 TFS ENTRE NOUS 2019